Pride Of Jenni finally gets her big one
Having finished runner-up in stakes races on four occasions, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) gained a deserved black-type victory in yesterday’s Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Flemington.
Sent off a $16 chance in the $1 million event, despite having run second in the Coolmore Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) in March, Pride Of Jenni was allowed to bowl along in her customary style by Declan Bates and had soon built up a healthy advantage over her 15 rivals.
Turning for home still four lengths in front of her closest pursuer, the runaway leader, who had been run down so often before, never once looked like being headed this time as she kept up her relentless gallop to beat favourite Atishu (Savabeel) by a length, with a further two and three-quarter lengths back to Life Lessons (Tavistock) in third place.
“Dec [Bates], he’s got a great affinity with her. It was a daring ride but that’s the type of race she needs to run to run her best,” said Maher.
“I knew she had a good break and I knew she’s very, very tough and her fitness levels were very high which they needed to be. Daring ride, just rapt it’s paid off.
“It is tough to do it that way but that is the best way and she got her opportunity today. She’s fit and well and if any mare deserves it, she does.”
Yesterday’s victory took Pride of Jenni’s record to four wins and a further eight placings from 24 starts, with prize-money of over $1.1 million.
Bates said: “We know how she runs, it’s a matter of just sort of executing that ride, it can be a bit of a balancing act, I was actually quite happy we drew the outside gate, it just meant I didn’t have to worry about anything to my outside and having dig up and hold them out, it was just a matter of letting her flow to the front nice and easy.
“I was a bit worried midway, she wasn’t quite coming underneath me and relaxing her the way I thought and hoped, but she’s got such an engine, she can keep running.
“She breaks their heart, she deserves a Group 1 because she’s run well in a lot of them, I’m just really happy for Tony and Lynn [Ottobre, owners], they’ve been great supporters of me, it’s a privilege to be riding their horses so a big thanks to them.”
Bred by Brent and Cherry Taylor’s Trelawney Stud, Pride Of Jenni (6 m ex Sancerre by O’Reilly) was a $100,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for Tony and Lynn Ottobre’s Cape Schanck Stud from the Segenhoe Stud draft.
She is the first foal out of the multiple winner Sancerre (O’Reilly), herself a daughter of 2004 Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) scorer Vouvray (Zabeel). Sancerre has a yearling filly by Per Incanto (Street Cry) and was covered by him again last year.
Pride of Jenni’s victory made her the 20th individual stakes winner, and third at the highest level, for Pride of Dubai (Street Cry), who also had Bella Nipotina land yesterday’s $3 million Giga Kick Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill. He is standing at Coolmore for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST).