Pride Of Jenni being aimed at Group 1 races during Queensland winter carnival
There will be no Queen Elizabeth Stakes defence for Pride Of Jenni, who will head towards the Queensland winter carnival instead.
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Queensland racegoers could be in for a treat with a winter carnival campaign on the table for superstar galloper Pride Of Jenni.
A Brisbane campaign is being considered for Pride Of Jenni after she was not among the acceptances for the $5m Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick this Saturday, the race that stamped her as one of the nation’s best 12 months ago.
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Pride of Jenni was also nominated for the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf on the second day of The Championships.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare returned this autumn with a dominant all-the-way win in typical Jenni style before uncharacteristically failing last time out in the Group 1 Australian Cup.
“Nothing came to light after the run so maybe she needed more time between her runs,” Maher’s racing manager Reece Murphy said.
“She’s always travelled well in the past so hopefully if we make to Brisbane that will again be the case this winter.”
The races under consideration for Pride Of Jenni’s potential Brisbane campaign are the $1m Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 24 and the $1.2m Group 2 Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 14.
If the seven-year-old mare does progress to the Q22 it will be the first time in her career that she’s stretched beyond the Cox Plate distance of 2040m.
In other Ciaron Maher Racing news, his brother Declan has left the operation to set up a stable on the Gold Coast.
“As the head of our Ballarat stable – our largest and one of our most important – Declan has been instrumental in the development of countless horses,” a Ciaron Maher Racing read.
“His exceptional horsemanship, adaptability across disciplines, and tireless work ethic have made him the cornerstone of our operation.”
Meanwhile, champion NSW country trainer Brett Cavanough is another interstate trainer to set up a satellite stable on the Gold Coast, albeit for the short-term.
With works underway at Scone where a new polytrack is being installed, the popular trainer, who regularly takes a team north, has seized the chance to lease boxes at the Gold Coast.
“I’m taking about 10 up there this week,” Cavanough said.
“We’ve leased boxes for three months, there’s construction work going on at Scone at the moment so the timing is perfect.
“It’s not a new thing for me to take a few horses to Queensland during the winter so having a short-term base will allow me to move horses in and out during the colder months.
“Scone is still home base, but I’ve got some progressive horses at the moment, and they will be based up north while targeting races during the carnival.”
Originally published as Pride Of Jenni being aimed at Group 1 races during Queensland winter carnival
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