Going into the $5million Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday there was no clear front runner for 2024 Australian Horse of the Year honours with so many wonderful horses doing amazing things in the current racing season, but coming out of the race there is only one candidate and it’s Pride of Dubai’s exceptional daughter Pride of Jenni.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Bates, Pride of Jenni has blazed a trail through the weight for age division from a mile to 2000m with a series of freakishly brilliant front running victories, but this time she soared to heights nobody could predict.
She jumped quickly and took control, sliding away from the field in the twinkling of an eye and that was the last they saw of her.
Pride of Jenni quickly opened up a 10 length margin, but by the 800m, she Of Jenni had increased her lead to more than 30 lengths and then at the 600m, some estimates had her 100m or about 40 lengths clear – and she maintained her gallop.
The Chris Waller trained Via Sistina is probably back in her box congratulating herself on a job well done having finished second some six and a half lengths astern of Pride of Jenni with the ever brave Mr Brightside in third place another couple of lengths back. They clocked 2.02.02
Ciaron Maher was left in awe of the six year-old mare.
"Unbelievable!" Maher said. "I've never seen anything like that, ever. Just phenomenal.
"Leading by 40! In a Group 1! And not just any Group 1!
"I don't think it will get any better than that. That is the biggest win I've ever seen, let alone had anything to do with.''
"I knew she'd get better the more she raced at 2000m but, my God, that was mind boggling to know that a horse can do that,'' he said.
"She ran 11.1 (200m sectional split) and I reckon it was at about the mile.
"I never doubt Dec (and) she must have given him some amazing feel. Full credit to him. Incredible."
Bates and Pride Of Jenni are a formidable combination with rider happy to defer to what the mare wants.
"That was all her today,'' Bates said.
"Over the last six months, the times I've ridden her we had a nice rhythm with each other and when I'd ask her to come back she'd come back a bit.
"But today, when the horse (Mr Brightside) came up on the outside, she grabbed the bit and she didn't drop it at any point.
"I was actually concerned that we were doing a bit too much. To be honest, until we hit that line I wasn't happy at all today until it was done.
"I couldn't tell you what the sectionals were. Generally once we're doing it nice and smoothly, I'm aware.
"Today, I just knew we were going quicker than I wanted to so it was a matter of coming back, coming back, and she said ‘nah I'm going'. She knows better.''
Pride of Jenni has the overall record of seven wins and 10 placings from 29 starts with prizemoney of $8.6million.
A $100,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Segenhoe Stud draft for Tony and Lynn Ottobre’s Cape Schanck Stud, Pride of Jenni was bred by Trelawney Stud and is the first foal of winning O’Reilly mare Sancerre, a daughter of Group I Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray.
"What this mare has done has been amazing for my family, she brings us such joy,'' said her owner Tony Ottobre.
"I've never seen a win like that before, she is an incredible horse.'
"We will take her home now and give her a good spell then bring her back for the King Charles.''
Trelawney Stud will be hoping for another Pride of Jenni in the pipeline as Sancerre has a yearling filly by Per Incanto (USA) and is in foal to Cambridge Stud stallion Hello Youmzain (Fr).
Pride of Jenni is one of four Group I winners for Pride of Dubai, who covered 102 mares last spring at Coolmore at a fee of $27,500 enjoying a resurgence of interest and there is no doubting his ability to get a truly elite horse with Pride of Jenni his second winner of the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes following on from Dubai Honour (IRE) saluting last year.
