Rhythm key for ‘tough’ mare
The Mornington Cup winner will need to get past Deny Knowledge first on Saturday.
The frontrunning mare has drawn perfectly, barrier four, to dictate the 2400m Listed feature – and Caulfield Cup qualifier – but trainer Michael Kent wants more rhythm than rage.
“She’s got to get it right, I’ve always felt there’s a mile and a half (2400m) in her, the data suggests there is,” Kent said.
“We’ve had two tries over a mile and a quarter (2000m), the Country Oaks which she won by a space and we ran in the Zipping Classic when it was a wet day and she’s hopeless in it.
“Mornington is challenging because you run downhill and uphill, it’s testing … It’s about the rhythm, whether she gets the right rhythm.”
New Zealand raiders Good Oil, barrier one, and Nereus, gate nine, could challenge for the lead, with favourite First Immortal and Future History also likely to take forward positions.
“If she could rate herself at 12-seconds the furlong she could go a long way, you start going 11s it really tells,” Kent said.
Deny Knowledge is a $7 equal second favourite with TAB behind First Immortal ($4.60). Strawberry Rock ($7), Little Mix ($8) and Nereus ($8.50) round out the top five in the market.
Deny Knowledge was collared in the final bounds of the Easter Cup (2000m) last start, going down by less than half a length behind Captain Envious and Jennilala.
Captain Envious is a $15 chance in the Mornington Cup.
“She never drops off, she never goes away,” Kent said.
“She’s like your mother-inlaw, she stays in the game … she’s tough.
“We could’ve gone to Adelaide for the Group 2 (Queen Of The South Stakes next Saturday), but we were keen to chance our arm.
“They’re good sports the owners and we think there’s a mile and a half in her so we’re going to give it a go Saturday, she’ll run well.”
Kent has potential Queensland ambitions for Deny Knowledge, with the $1m Doomben Cup (2000m) an option on May 25.
“The autumn had nothing for her really, she isn’t an Australian Cup horse, we whizzed her up to the Coolmore (Classic) and we got a wet track, we weren’t expecting, Good 4 when we left and Soft 6 when we got there, and then she ran well the other day (Easter Cup).
“Still wasn’t quite her ground, it was a Soft 5 and chopped up on the fence, we’ll get her ground on Saturday.
“She’s done the work and she’s enthusiastic, she really helps me a lot, she eats well and does well, this will be the telling tale where she goes after this race.
“We’ll either head to Brisbane with her, chance to go to the Doomben Cup but we thought we’d give her a go a mile and a half and it gives you an idea what to do with her in the spring.
“Probably, to be fair, for her to get to the next level she needs to go a bit further, she’s a Group 2 mare at a mile, she won the Matriarch, we’re keen to see her a try at this trip.”