Sharp EIT All-Star Mile (Group 1)

PRIDE Of Jenni can never be underestimated, Saturday’s A$3.75 million All Star Mile at Caulfield another case in point, after she’d dominated at Flemington Cup Carnival winning two Group 1s in seven days.

Ridden as usual by Declan Bates, Pride Of Jenni ran the only way she knows - rolling along in front at a seemingly unsustainable clip. Stringing the field along, her main danger Mr Brighttside looked in danger early, getting back in the field and 15 off the lead.

Buffalo River did his best to slipstream Pride Of Jenni but once she broke clear inside the final 200 metres it was ‘lights out’.

Mr Brightside, by Bullbars, got home well for second, two lengths in arrears, with the New Approach gelding Cascadian third.

Unbelievable

“She is quite special because you don’t get horses that can do that,” said Ciaron Maher. “Most horses have a 600-metre sprint but she seems like she can do it for a half-mile or 1,000 metres. She’s unbelievable.

“There are obviously options in Sydney or the Australian Cup. (Owner) Tony (Ottobre) has always been very keen to get her to 2,000 metres. We were half contemplating a Cox Plate last year, so she’ll be hard to beat in whatever she goes in.”

With six wins and nine placings from 27 starts and banking over $5 million, Pride Of Jenni has had a profound effect on Declan Bates. “Tony, he has changed my life basically giving me this opportunity,” reflected Bates.

“To repay the faith and pull off the rides and execute them, it’s so satisfying. This prep, every time I’ve sat on her back, she has certainly improved from last spring. I didn’t want to say that out loud because of what she did last spring and not say that she might have come back better, but I think that is the case. She is doing it, sustaining a gallop, it’s so impressive.”

Zougotcha’s grabs Coolmore Classic

Coolmore Classic (Group 1)

JAMES McDonald put up his 90th Group 1 win in the Coolmore Classic aboard the Zoustar filly Zougotcha, in the process bringing up trainer Chris Waller’s 157th Group 1.

“At the furlong, I didn’t think I could win,” said McDonald. “I felt I was near empty and credit to her, she pinned her ears back and had a great crack. She’s just a top-class mare that’s trained to the minute.”

Settled off the pace over Rosehill’s 1,500 metre circuit, three pairs back and on the rails, McDonald went looking for a run approaching the bend as the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Tropical Squall tried to dominate the race from the front.

In a hectic finish, a half-length was all that separated the first five with Zougotcha winning by a head with nothing left to give on the line. Second was the Winning Rupert filly Semana, a nose ahead of the Brave Smash filly Kimochi.

“It’s good to have her back,” said Chris Waller of the A$500,000 Inglis Easter yearling. “She showed last start that the writing was on the wall and that a horse we expected to be there in the spring was back.

“She has backed that up today with a tough win under handicap conditions giving weight away to every other horse in the race. It took us a long time to win this race and now we’ve managed to win two in a row.”

Magic Night for Drfiting

TOMMY Sherry landed the Group 3 Magic Night Stakes for fillies on Drifting for Peter and Paul Snowden at Rosehill on Saturday. Positive in the run, Sherry stole a break on the bend to deny the Trapeze Artist filly Fly Fly and the Zousain filly Chateau Miraval.

“When she flattens out, she gives you that good feel and I think if something challenged her she would have gone again,” said Sherry who has won on her twice now.

“She has a lovely demeanour and a great attitude, so we’ll see where she ends up from here.”

The win also brought up the first Stakes win for the first season sire Zousain, a son of Zoustar, who stands at Widden Stud.

New Zealand

CURRENTLY third in the Jockeys’ Premiership with 77 wins, Joe Doyle landed his 100th New Zealand winner on Saturday riding the Complacent mare Hi Yo Sass Bomb to victory in the Group 3 Cuddle Stakes at Trentham.

“I had NZ$4 million in stakes money and 10 stakes winners as a couple of the goals, and I have got that so far (this season), so I am in bonus territory a bit now and have no plans on stopping,” said the Thurles-born Doyle.

“I am getting close to 300 (career wins) now, I am on about 280. If I could get 100 in a season and my own personal 300, I think that would be huge. I couldn’t be happier with how everything has gone.” The chance is that Doyle will continue on in New Zealand at the end of the season.

“I am getting on well here and I am very comfortable. I have to be here a bit longer before I can even think about applying for residency, but it is certainly something on my mind.”

Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (Group 1)

WARREN Kennedy took his tally to 94 wins at the top of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership by taking out Saturday’s New Zealand Oaks at Trentham aboard the Chad Ormsby-trained Pulchritudinous.

Parked away on the rail for the bulk of the 2,400 metre Group 1, Kennedy switched off heels at the 700m mark to get himself into the clear.

Wide around the bend with five to the inside of Pulchritudinous, the Group 2 Lowland Stakes winner kept finding on the soft track to post a two-length margin over a pair of Almanzor fillies Positivity and Qali Al Farrasha.

“A lot of pride and joy goes into a filly like this, who we bought cheaply and ended up not being able to sell,” said Chad Ormsby of the filly by Wrote. “She’s managed to go on and prove herself.” Purchased for NZ$32,500 as a yearling at Karaka 2022 to be sold at the Ready-To-Run under Ormsby’s Riverrock Farm, Pulchritudinous was passed-in on a $50,000 reserve.

“Things like a Group 1 win are what we strive for,” Ormsby added. “We’re only a small team, around five racehorses, but we bat above our weight and I’m so grateful to the people around us. My mother-in-law has a share in this filly, along with her partner, and they do so much for us with all the days and nights that they look after our kids. It’s a great thrill.”