Deny Knowledge could return for a tilt at the Caulfield Cup after landing her first Group 1 victory leading throughout at Caulfield.
Bringing back memories of Might And Power the champion galloper that Saturday’s Group 1 race over 2000m is named after, Deny Knowledge was taken straight to the front by jockey Mark Zahra and denied her rivals to run her down.
Deny Knowledge ($8.50) scored a three-quarter length win from the $1.75 betting site favourite Mr Brightside with Atishu ($4) the same margin off third.
After watching early races, trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman were confident of toppling the odds-on favourite.
“I think she’s classier than probably people give her credit,” Sam Freedman said.
“Her run in the Underwood was very good, she took off early and was still there fighting it out towards the finish.
“We may back up next week if she pulls up well which maybe slightly more likely than the Cox Plate, so who knows.
“She’s relaxing well enough, so she might have a crack. It looks like she may be getting tired on the line, but she’ll sustain that same gallop for a very long time.”
Deny Knowledge started her career with the Mick Kent stable before being purchased by Yu Long Investments and transferring into the care of the Freedman father-and-son training operation.
“She arrived in great order from Mick Kent and was a well-performed mare,” Freedman said.
“She has won a Matriarch Stakes, so we had a very good product to work with.
“We just tinkered with a few things in training just to get her to switch off and relax, and that’ s been the key.”
Again, Mr Brightside was denied a Group 1 win at 2000m as he chased valiantly, much to the frustration of his trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes.
Ben Hayes said he and his brothers would see how Mr Brightside pulls up from Saturday’s contest, but plans remain in place to contest the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.
“We had our chance,” Ben Hayes said.
“It was a good ride by Craig (Williams) and there are no real excuses.
“The only one I would say is the dry track, it’s now a good three and he doesn’t let down on good three’s as well as he does on a track with some give.
“Somehow, he attracts the sunny skies and if we can get a bit of give, he can bounce back,
“By no means was it a bad run, so we’ll see how he pulls up, but there’s no excuses apart from the drying track, perhaps.”
