The Group 1 find of last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival has been given a ‘wildcard’ entry into the All-Star Mile, this year to be run at Caulfield.
Pride Of Jenni recorded successive wins at Group 1 level at Flemington last November, firstly taking out the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) on Victoria Derby Day before returning a week later to defeat Mr Brightside and Alligator Blood in the Champions Mile (1600m) on the final day of Cup week.
The Ciaron Maher-trained mare has not raced since that performance and is expected to resume in either the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield next Saturday, or in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at the same track two weeks later.
Pride Of Jenni will again be pitted against Mr Brightside in those races with both contests ‘Win and You’re In’ for the All-Star Mile (1600m) on March 16.
The Melbourne Racing Club and Racing Victoria has announced that if Mr Brightside or Pride Of Jenni wins either the C F Orr or Futurity Stakes, the runner-up will get the All-Star Mile wildcard entry, and if the pair quinella the races, the third-placed runner will gain the start.
Maher is chasing his first All-Star Mile success and is buoyant about Pride Of Jenni’s chances.
“Pride Of Jenni showed in the spring that she’s a high-class miler so we’re rapt that she’s secured her spot in this year’s All-Star Mile,” Maher said.
“We’ve only had a handful of runners in the All-Star Mile and haven’t had much luck, so we’re hoping she can prove hard to catch at Caulfield.
“She took down a lot of big names across the week at Flemington, horses that she’ll likely meet again in this race, so she’s got to be a great chance.
“She had a nice gallop at Sandown on Wednesday and seems to have come up really well, so we’re excited about her campaign.”
Pride of Jenni is co-owned Tony Ottobre and his wife Lynn, who name all their horses in memory of their late daughter, Jennifer, after she lost her battle with brain cancer in 2015.