Exciting mare Pride of Jenni has dazzled racegoers with her free running style of racing that has her rivals off the bit turning for home, but can she stretch that speed to the 2000m of the $3million Group I VRC Australian Cup at Flemington on Saturday.
The Ciaron Maher trained daughter of Pride of Dubai has won three of her past four starts in G1 and feature races at 1600m, but has only ever once been tried at 2000m and that was last year when she went around in the Group III ATC JRA Plate on a heavy 8 and finished eighth when she was right at the end of an arduous prep.
It’s fairly safe to say that run was no guide as to Pride of Jenni’s chances to get the 2000m strongly on Saturday, but a look at her pedigree gives cause for optimism.
Her sire Pride of Dubai has thrown a number of horses effective to this trip including last year’s Group I ATC Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Dubai Honour (IRE), while on her female side of the pedigree Price of Jenni has the good staying blood you would expect of a horse bred by Trelawney Stud.
Her dam Sancerre, won up to 2200m and is by champion New Zealand sire O’Reilly from Group I Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray (Zabeel), while third dam Real Success was a multiple Group winner that won up to 2000m.
If you are a Pride of Jenni fan ( and how can you not be!) it won’t be pedigree that holds her back from scoring another crowd pleasing win on Saturday.
