Giving trainer Lucy Yeomans her first stakes winner as a trainer in her own right, 4yo Too Darn Hot mare Jenni The Fox appreciated the drop back top 1200m, claiming the $200,000 Listed Black Pearl Stakes at Geelong’s Saturday meeting.
Third in the G3 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes during the Flemington spring carnival, the mare jumped away well from barriers with jockey Thomas Stockdale taking her forward to settle in fifth position.
With Michael Huglin’s Gracie’s Rain leading the field into the straight with ears pricked, it wasn’t long before Jenni The Fox charged out of the pack, hitting the lead at the 200m mark before powering away to score by a length and three-quarter.
Fighting out second and third, John Maloney’s Hearcomesthestar got the bob in with the Zoustar mare finishing in second, while I Am Invincible’s Naifah took third.
When asked what the win meant to her, Yeomans was over-joyed with the result.
"Just to get a Stakes winner, I think it's my 17th runner, I've had four winners, they've all been for Tony Ottobre and his team, so I'm just incredibly grateful," Yeomans said.
"I've been riding all my own trackwork and I've been absolutely cooking myself overthinking everything, but I galloped this horse on Tuesday and she absolutely flew," Yeomans said.
"I actually had my partner Blake (Shinn) there clocking me and the tracker just said her recovery was better than ever."
With plenty on offer at the upcoming Magic Millions race day on January 17, Jenni The Fox could head north to chase further success.
"There's a flight for her on Tuesday, but no pressure. She's worth more than one race," Yeomans said.
"She was a very valuable mare before this, but she's worth even more now, so we're not going to force anything."
With two wins and two placed performances from 15 starts with earnings of $350,450, the black type victory will surely add further gloss to her full sister who will be offered by Segenhoe Stud draft at his year’s Magic Millions yearling sale as Lot 553.
Bred by Mr J Hannan, Jenni The Fox was purchased for $380,000 by Tony Ottobre’s Cape Schanck Stud from the Segenhoe Stud draft at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale and is the sixth winner (and first at black type level) from six to the races out of the well-related G3 placed Fastnet Rock mare Miss Foxwood, a half-brother to G3 winner Rockwood, both out of the G1 winner Foxwood.
From the extended family of multiple G1 winner Mr Brightside, Miss Foxwood unfortunately missed to So You Think the year after foaling the full sister to Jenni The Fox, therefore there was no foal this season.
Jenni The Fox became the 31st takes winner for Darley’s Too Darn Hot who stood the recently completed season at fee of $275,000 (inc. GST). Having covered 108 mares during the season, the book is Literally Hot – click here take a look at the mares covered in a recent story on Breednet.
