Pride Of Jenni, Mr Brightside to clash under lights in Feehan Stakes blockbuster at The Valley

The Valley’s revamped spring program is set to produce another showdown between Victoria’s two superstars in Friday night’s Group 2 Feehan Stakes.

The Valley’s revamped spring program is set to produce another showdown between Victoria’s two superstars in Friday night’s Group 2 Feehan Stakes.

The Moonee Valley Racing Club moved the Feehan Stakes, which offers a Cox Plate ballot exemption to the winner, back three weeks to its Grand Final Eve meeting.

The grand final eve fixture will also feature the Group 1 Manikato Stakes, which was brought forward a month from its Cox Plate Eve slot.

Trainers will have four weeks to prepare their horses for the Cox Plate after tackling the $500,000 Feehan Stakes.

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A by-product of the shift is likely to be another clash between Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni in the weight-for-age event.

Mr Brightside prevailed when the pair last met in heavy ground in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on September 14.

Mr Brightside’s trainers Ben, JD and Will Hayes confirmed the star miler would tackle the Feehan Stakes last week while Pride Of Jenni’s trainer Ciaron Maher said the race’s new position placed it at the perfect spot in the brilliant mare’s preparation.

Maher said running in the Feehan Stakes at 1600m would be ideal for Pride Of Jenni’s main goal, the $5m King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 19.

“The target has always been the King Charles (III Stakes),” Maher said.

“You could go to the Turnbull (Stakes) and the Cox Plate but the goal has always been the King Charles.

Pride Of Jenni is set for another clash with rival Mr Brightside in Friday night’s Group 2 Feehan Stakes Picture: George Sal/Racing Photos

“The mile fits in better and the Feehan, in the calendar, fits in that spot quite well.

“If you get the field that I think they will get, it should be a great race.”

Pride Of Jenni emerged as one of Australian racing’s elite last season with three Group 1 triumphs and victory in the $4m All-Star Mile but missed a place when resuming in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on August 31.

However, the seven-year-old improved sharply off that run when a fighting second in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

Maher said the Makybe Diva Stakes outing showed Pride Of Jenni was tracking well towards her rich spring aims.

“She was very fit going into her first-up run,” Maher said.

“It was no surprise she got beat, maybe the margin, but it was good at Flemington because she was back to form.”

“(Jockey) Dec (Bates) reckoned she just spun a little bit at the stage when he was trying to break them up a little bit more but we were very happy with her.”

Pride Of Jenni is the $3 equal favourite with the Chris Waller-trained Fangirl in Ladbrokes’ pre-nominations King Charles III market.

Originally published as Pride Of Jenni, Mr Brightside to clash under lights in Feehan Stakes blockbuster at The Valley