Pride Of Jenni blows rivals away in Feehan
Star mare Pride Of Jenni (7 m Pride Of Dubai – Sancerre by O’Reilly) looks set to take on both the King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) within the space of a week after she returned to the winner’s enclosure in Friday night’s Feehan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at The Valley.
Ridden by Declan Bates, the Ciaron Maher-trained mare raced in her trademark front-running style, opening up a lead of ten lengths with 600 metres to go. Pride Of Jenni was still leading by six lengths into the straight, before holding on comfortably to beat Mr Brightside (Bullbars) by 1.5 lengths, with Antino (Redwood) a further 0.75 lengths away in third. Attrition (Churchill) finished last of the quartet, another 2.5 lengths further adrift in third.
This was the first time Pride Of Jenni has started favourite since the Mannerism Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) in February of last year and Bates was happy to really let Pride Of Jenni rip, her time of 1.34.67 just 0.3 seconds off the track record, ironically set by Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni) when beating Pride Of Jenni last year.
“I sat on her Monday morning and I’ve been looking forward to tonight ever since because I knew she had just come on from that last run and she was just on it,” Bates said.
“A lot of times I do like to just take it easy on her through that first 200, but I really just let her stride from the word go today and probably got a little breather, about 2000, and then from the 800, I asked a lot of her today… we were up against the champion in Brightside and had to do what I had to do to beat him.”
Maher was thrilled to see Pride Of Jenni back in the winner’s stall having been beaten at her first two runs this time in.
“To have her back, that’s what racing’s all about, nights like this. Really good racing and a brilliant job by Dec. He understands her so well and the atmosphere tonight is electric,” Maher said.
“It’s just rad to have her back. I thought she was pretty close to right and thankfully she’s right back.”
As for Bates, there was no praise too high.
“I’ve just got an absolute champion of a horse here.”
Pride Of Jenni is now the $5 second favourite for the Cox Plate back at The Valley on October 26, with Mr Brightside sitting on the third line of betting for the Group 1 at $9. Japanese raider Prognosis (Deep Impact) heads the betting, rated a $4 chance.