Champion jockey Glen Boss reveals what James McDonald must do aboard Fangirl to beat star mare Pride Of Jenni
Saturday’s King Charles III Stakes looms as a gripping tactical clash between mighty mares Pride Of Jenni and Fangirl. Champion jockey Glen Boss reveals the race plan that James McDonald must employ for Fangirl to emerge victorious.
Horse Racing
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Different horse. Different race. Same problem.
That’s the scenario awaiting champion jockey James McDonald in Saturday’s $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.
Rewind back to April and it was fairly evident that J-Mac was lugging a considerable chip on his shoulder after mighty mare Pride Of Jenni made a one act affair of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
McDonald chased Pride Of Jenni home on that occasion aboard Via Sistina, finishing 6-½ lengths astern, following one of the greatest galloping exhibitions in Australian turf history.
In the aftermath of the Queen Elizabeth, industry debate erupted, with many questioning whether rival jockeys – including the sport’s number one rider McDonald – should have done more in an attempt to curb Pride Of Jenni’s frontrunning dominance.
On Saturday at Royal Randwick, McDonald gets the chance to locks horns again with jockey Declan Bates and Pride Of Jenni, this time in the King Charles, this time aboard Fangirl and this time over 1600 metres.
“The ride of the century @decbates!â€
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 13, 2024
Pride Of Jenni leads by a huge margin and wins the G1Â Queen Elizabeth Stakes in a bold front running display, in one of the most epic wins at Randwick ever!@aus_turf_club@cmaherracingpic.twitter.com/33Ejus8VL3
“I’ve been talking to James a bit and he’s definitely in lockdown mode for Saturday – it can’t come quick enough,” declared former champion jockey Glen Boss.
“What happened in the Queen Elizabeth happened but at the time you could argue the rest of the jockeys should have done more but knowing what we know now about Jenni probably changes that opinion.
• Clinton Payne’s The Everest tips, runner-by-runner form assessment
“In a lot of ways James’ hands are tied on Fangirl (on) Saturday. She’s one-dimensional in the sense that he will need to ride her quiet with cover and not out of her comfort zone.
“A horse like Major Beel becomes a really interesting runner. You can see him carting the field up to Pride Of Jenni and dictating how far she is in front.
• Everest day fields: Pride Of Jenni draws out in King Charles III Stakes
“I’ve got no doubt Fangirl will rip home in sub-33 (seconds for the final 600m) but whether that’s good enough to win will depend on how the race unfolds. A lot of that is outside James’ control.
“She reminds me a lot of a horse I used to ride in Shogun Lodge. He could reel off amazing sections late but got beat more often than not because at that level it just becomes near impossible (to mend the gap).
“James just needs to focus on controlling what he can control. If he doesn’t, the task will just become even greater for him.”
• First The Everest, then the world ... King eyes international conquests
One thing in McDonald’s and the rest of the opposition’s favour on Saturday is the fact that in many ways, the element of surprise has been eroded.
Pride Of Jenni’s remarkable frontrunning effort in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes was the first time that the tactics had successfully materialised.
“Regan Bayliss had adopted the tactics on her once before but the Queen Elizabeth was really the first time it successfully came off,” Boss added.
“So there was that element of surprise that day. But you look at it now, it’s become the blueprint to how she races. So for her rivals that awareness is there.
“Knowing it is one thing, doing something about it is another thing altogether.”
• ‘It’s a perfect draw’: Green light for Traffic barrier
An unabashed Pride Of Jenni fan, Boss has no trouble in declaring the mighty mare the headline attraction on The Everest Day.
But at the same time he believes the 1600 metre journey of Saturday’s King Charles III Stakes does leave the door slightly ajar for her opposition.
“I’ve got no hesitation in saying she’s the headline horse there on Saturday and in Australian racing,” Boss declared.
“But over a mile I think the opposition – led by Fangirl – are a chance. With a better tempo and faster horses … it’s just a different race.
“But in saying that she’s an amazing horse with a remarkable aerobic capacity.
“After Saturday she heads to the Ladbrokes Cox Plate. Won’t that be something!”
Originally published as Champion jockey Glen Boss reveals what James McDonald must do aboard Fangirl to beat star mare Pride Of Jenni
‘It went to script’: Classy import surges to Coongy win
Gavin Bedggood has a couple of Group 3 options in mind for import Kingswood after his easy win in the Coongy Cup at Caulfield.
Cup horse can lift Moor off ‘bottom of the pile’
A Caulfield Cup win would be the perfect way for jockey Daniel Moor to re-establish himself in the Melbourne riding ranks after another successful Singapore stint.