Spring stars to jumpout

[Wandering Eyes]

The return run of Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) is now less than four weeks away and the mare is set to step up her program with another jump-out at Cranbourne.

The Ciaron Maher-trained mare had a jump-out over 800m at Cranbourne on July 22 and will have the second of her preparation over 1000m at Cranbourne on Monday.

Pride Of Jenni is being prepared for her return to racing at Caulfield on August 31 in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m).

The mare has not raced since winning the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick in April and owner Tony Otobre has signalled the mares’ main target is the Gr.1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 19.

The Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley the following week is also on the radar.

Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said Pride Of Jenni was doing everything expected.

“She had a gallop last week and will have a jump-out over 1000 metres at Cranbourne on Monday,” Turnbull said.

“We’ll then work out what we do with her after that, whether she has a third jump-out or we take her away for a gallop. We took her to Sandown last prep before she got going and got a lot out of it.

“Depending on the weather we’ll work out whether it’s better to take her away for another gallop again, a bit of a trip, which she may get more benefit out of.”

The jump-out on Monday is then tenth of the morning but will be the first on the main grass at Cranbourne and opponents include stablemates Jennilala, Saint George, Immediacy, Mostly Cloudy, Shaiyhar and Uncle Bryn.

Also down to have a jump-out on Monday is Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) who will be having the first of two hit-outs ahead of his expected return also in the Memsie Stakes.

Mr Brightside’s spring program remains largely unknown on the eve of his first official jumpout, but there are two races that seem certain to feature the winner of more than A$13 million in stakes.

The Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield at the end of August and the $5 million Cox Plate are etched into Mr Brightside’s spring program for 2024, but co-trainer JD Hayes said on Saturday that what happens in between is yet to be determined.

“It’s the Memsie and then there are many ways to skin a cat,” Hayes said. “He’ll most probably end up in a race like the Cox Plate.

“This is his first jumpout. He’ll just roll around and then have a trial on the Friday of next week and then we’ll be ready to go.”

Regular rider Craig Williams will partner Mr Brightside in the 1200-metre course proper jumpout at Flemington on Monday.

Hayes said the team were looking forward to another big spring with the seven-year-old. “He’s going very well,” Hayes said. “He is very happy.”

He will jump-out over 800m on the course proper at Flemington in a heat that includes Bandersnatch, Munhamek, Caste and Zulfiqar.

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