Pride of Dubai Mare Wins Grafton Cup

Pride of Dubai mares have been on fire in Australia this season and while Irish bred Deny Knowledge (6m Pride of Dubai x The Paris Shrug, by Manduro) might be a rung below Pride of Jenni and Bella Nipotina, she has still been a force to be reckoned with taking the Group II VRC Matriarch Stakes last spring and now the $200,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) , albeit this win was for new connections.

Offered in the Newgate Consignment at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale as agent for Cross Park Stud, Deny Knowledge was purchased by Yulong for $500,000 and was immediately transferred from previous trainer Mick Kent Snr to Anthony and Sam Freedman.

She was second at her first run in the Yulong colours in the Listed Tatts Gold Crown last month and then produced a bold staying performance for Blake Shinn under a positive ride at Grafton. She surged forward to take control of the race and kept up a good gallop all the way to win by three-quarters of a length.

"She's a natural leader and at 24(00-metres), we may have been a little suspect," Blake Shinn said.

"If I was going to burn the candle at both ends it was going to be hard and the pressure in the first 300 was quite quick, so there was an opportunity to drop in and rest around that first turn.

"When they backed off, I made a decision to roll to the top and get her into a zone where she loves to be, and once I was able to find the top, I was confident a long way out."

Deny Knowledge has the overall record of eight wins and eight placings from 34 starts with prizemoney just shy of $1million.

She made 26,000 euros originally at the Goffs Sportsman’s Yearling Sale and is the best of two winners from The Paris Shrug, a winning half-sister by Monsun stallion Manduro to Group I Royal Ascot Gold Cup winner Big Orange.

This is also the family of much loved perennial Melbourne Cup placegetter and Group I winner Red Cadeaux and HK Horse of the Year and Champion Middle Distance Horse Military Attack, so it’s no surprise Deny Knowledge can run a trip.

Deny Knowledge is one of eight Australian stakes-winners this season for Pride of Dubai, who is unbeatable value this spring at a fee of $22,000.