Pride Of Jenni to run in Q22
Next Saturday’s final weight-for-age feature in Australia for the season will take on a whole new look with news that front-running star Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) will tackle the Gr.2 A$1.2 million Q22 over 2200 metres at Eagle Farm.
On Sunday morning, Pride Of Jenni's owner Tony Ottobre confirmed to Gareth Hall that the Trelawney Stud bred star would step up in distance.
Earlier, Ciaron Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said on Saturday that no decision had been made on the mare’s immediate future, he conceded she was in training in Queensland and was in the right shape to take her first step beyond 2000 metres.
“Potentially,” he said of the Q22. “She is ticking over. She went out on the grass, but she probably will stay moving until the spring really because a mare like that, you can’t really stop.
“Ultimately, it will be up to Tony (Ottobre, her owner) but she’s in work and she’s rock-hard fit.
“It’s only a furlong (200m) more than what she has been successful at and in Doomben Cup.
“It’s an option. In terms of whether it’s a definite plan ‘no’ but she’s well and if Tony wants to give her a chance and if Ciaron is happy with her, ultimately maybe."
Pride Of Jenni has been out to 2000 metres eight times in her career for one win, but that win was her most memorable as it came in the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick, where she went out to a 30-length lead and still had 6.5 lengths up her sleeve on the line.
She has also been runner-up three times at 2000 metres – twice in the Australian Cup and once at her latest run when she was mowed down late by Birdman in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup.
There will be a number of leading stables keeping an eye on the Q22 nominations as Pride Of Jenni changes the complexion of the races she contests given the manner in which she dominates from the front.
Nominations for the meeting, which also contains the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap, Gr.1 J.J. Atkins Stakes and Gr.2 Brisbane Cup, will close on Monday at 11am.
