Pride Of Jenni (Image: Racing Photos)
Cox Plate favourite Pride Of Jenni has enjoyed an early return to the fray with the weight-for-age star breezing through a soft jump-out in wet conditions at Cranbourne on Monday.
The All-Star Mile winner and last start 6.5 length winner of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick strode out boldly in the 800-metre trial before finishing second for jockey Declan Bates in an outing that pleased trainer Ciaron Maher.
“It was very much just to get her back into the swing of things – just to invigorate her a little bit,” Maher told Racing.com afterwards.
“Dec said she pretty well like that. He said she was looking at everything going to tbe barriers and felt like she needed stimulation.
“I was very happy with what she did actually in the trial. It was a working gallop, so to speak, on the bit.
“She had a bit of a blow, but she’s got a bit of time before she has to kick off. It was a nice starting point.
“She spelled really well and put on nice condition. She’s done her base work now so we’ve got a few more weeks before we kick off, so we’ll start to work her down.
“She’s a mare with her racing style, she needs to be forward and ready to go when she steps out.
“A lot of horses in the early part of the spring, they use their races to bring them on, but she needs to be pretty right when she goes (to the races).”
Pride Of Jenni is set to make her return to the races in the G1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31.