Mare’s mighty task in TAB Australian Cup

That could change on Saturday, with a chance that mares will occupy the first three lines of betting. Pride Of Jenni is likely to start favourite, while Flemington Group 1 winners Zardozi and Atishu are genuine hopes.

Putting the Racing & Sports database to work, and looking back to the turn of the century, there have been 53 female runners (all mares, no fillies) to contest an Australian Cup, accounting for 17.67% of total runners over the 25-year period.

In that time, there have been 11 mares to place and just two have won – the great Makybe Diva in 2005 and more recently Duais in 2022, equating to a winning strike rate of 8%.

In that time, the market has expected roughly five wins, so there’s no doubt that mares have, as a whole, underperformed in the Australian Cup, a race that has been won by some of the country’s best stallions and geldings.

Lonhro, Northerly (twice), Humidor, Shocking, Zipping are just some of the names that spring to mind when thinking of the Australian Cup, and going back even further, champions such as Octagonal, Saintly, Let’s Elope, Better Loosen Up, Vo Rogue and Dulcify grace the honour roll.

It's not just the top males that have run in the Australian Cup either. There have been some top mares contest the race but fall short.

Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed for Leon MacDonald & Andrew Gluyas was rated 120 by Racing & Sports and actually improved on that in the 2012 Australian Cup to run 122 but was nosed out by top import Manighar.

VRC Oaks and Caulfield Cup winner Jameka, rated 124 by Racing & Sports, ran to her absolute best in the 2017 Australian Cup, beaten a long neck by Humidor.

This year, there are certainly some top line mares in contention, and they probably won’t have to beat a horse with the class of Humidor or the like.

Pride Of Jenni set a blistering tempo in last year’s TAB Australian Cup and it took a huge performance from Cascadian to run her down.

Whilst beaten, Pride Of Jenni ran to a Racing & Sports rating of 121 that day, which is better than anything in this year’s field has managed, and she showed she was back better than ever after a short-lived retirement, running to 123 first up in an outstanding win at Caulfield.

She beat Zardozi that day who has been slowly building this preparation, targeted firmly at Flemington throughout her campaign. She closed off nicely late behind Pride Of Jenni last time but is a strong stayer who can sit close to the speed and peak again.

Atishu isn’t to be sneezed at either. Her best form is clearly at Flemington, with her past three wins all at Group 1 level at Flemington, running ratings of 118, 114 and 120 which have her firmly in the mix.

While the Australian Cup has been primarily dominated by males, the best mares run their rating. Makybe Diva and Duais won, Southern Speed and Jameka were at their very best and only narrowly beaten.

Given Pride Of Jenni returned with her best ever first-up performance, there’s no reason to think she won’t be running a great race on Saturday, and Zardozi, Atishu and even a horse like Deny Knowledge all look set to peak as well.

I have a feeling the record of mares in the TAB Australian Cup is set to improve on Saturday at Flemington.