The $500,000 Group II MVRC Feehan Stakes (1600m) might one day get re-named the Pride of Jenni Stakes with the ageless champion taking out the WFA mile for the third year in a row at Caulfield on Sunday.
Trained by Ciaron Maher and ridden by Declan Bates, Pride of Jenni is returning this spring as a nine year-old mare, which is not something you see very often in a world where the commercial breeding future of a thoroughbred is frequently placed ahead of what they can achieve on the track.
For Pride of Jenni’s owners, Tony Ottobre and his family, it’s all about living in the moment and enjoying their star mare as long as she is happy out there doing her job.
She was certainly happy today, travelling smoothly to the front for Declan Bates before coasting along in cruise control and then slipping away to win by a length and a half over Treasurethe Moment.
“She looked comfortable, even more comfortable in the run. She must have felt good underneath him (Bates) because he hadn't gone for her before the turn which normally he would have,” said Ciaron Maher.
"No surprise. We were very rapt with her since the winter. Tony and his team manage her well and our team certainly know her very, very well.
"Can't thank the whole team at Cranbourne (enough). That's where she spends most of her time but she went to Ballarat for a gallop this prep which all the staff were happy about.
"She's just phenomenal. She's such a great mare. To have her back at this age and arguably in as good a form as ever, it is quite remarkable.
"Dec understands her so well and does a lot of kilometres up the highway to gallop her."
Pride Of Jenni has now had 49 starts for 14 wins, 15 placings and $12.8 million in stakes.
Declan Bates has ridden her in eight of those wins.
“She's just made of different stuff. We know it now. All the signs at home were that she's as good as ever. I really came here full of confidence at how well she was going,” Bates said.
"Once again. Ciaron Maher producing her on the day. It was for me to just sit and steer and enjoy the ride.
"I didn't even go for the whip in the end. I could feel her. She was giving me everything. I felt like I was always winning, but for a horse to race the way she does, time and time again she finds more which most horses simply don't have."
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 best of two winners from winning O’Reilly mare Sancerre, a daughter of Group I Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray.
Her sire Pride of Dubai is unbeatable value this spring at Coolmore at a fee of $22,000.
