Pride Of Jenni could make All-Star return

[Wandering Eyes]

Ciaron Maher says 2024 All-Star Mile champion Pride Of Jenni could tackle the race first-up in 2026 after continuing to impress him in her work at Cranbourne.

Maher told Racing.com on Monday all signs were positive with last spring’s G1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) winner, confirming the $2 million All-Star Mile over the same course at Flemington on March 7 made appeal as a starting point.

“She’s in very good order actually,” Maher said of the autumn progress of the winner of more than $11 million in stakes.

“Galloped this morning and she is going to jumpout next week, all going well.

“Very happy with her condition. She looks fantastic. Her demeanour is good and just the way she is applying herself to her work is just the same as normal.

“The All-Star Mile might be an option, but we will see how she jumps out.”

Fellow eight-year-old star mare Via Sistina failed to come up this campaign and was retired from racing, but Maher said Pride Of Jenni was showing no such signs.

Maher takes us through a few of his autumn G1 chances…

Benedetta: “She trialled a bit casual the first one, but we put the shades on her this morning and trialed very sharp. Jamie (Melham) was pretty happy with her. Looks a treat. Very sound and she is going to work towards the Lightning as her kick-off.”

Jimmysstar: “He’s going to kick-off in the William Reid to the TJ (Smith) and into the All Aged all going well. He’s just ticking over. He had a pretty busy time (in the spring) so we’ve just program the three races for him.”

Observer: “He came back a little bit more causal. He’d just grown up a little bit and was a lot more relaxed, which was good because he was sort of quite on-it in the spring. I needed to see a sharper piece of work from him before racing and he did that this morning. It was quite sharp so he’ll kick-off in the Autumn Stakes.”

Tempted: “Her aim will be the Surround and she probably kicks-off in the Eskimo Prince (Randwick on Saturday). She worked this morning as well at Bong Bong and I think she’s a little bit more forward than what we had her last time. She’s a pretty exciting horse.”

Unit Five: “He’ll do a piece of work tomorrow and he trials next week before his next start in the Blue Diamond. Traveling young colts brings them on and it (travel from the Gold Coast) certainly has with him.”

Gilded Water: “I just wanted to give him a decent break (post spring) so he probably ends up in Queensland in the winter as that’s quite a proven path (to the Melbourne spring).”

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