3 minute read
Group 1 racing is back in Melbourne and the best horse in the country returns with it.
We saw a scintillating Spring preview from Via Sistina in Sydney last week and now it's Melbourne's turn to show their talent, and Pride Of Jenni will have plenty to say about how the Spring shapes up.
She comes into it having run a median Timeform rating of 121 in her past six starts, including that whopping 129 rating as a 6.5 length winner of the Queen Elizabeth.
That would win just about any race in the world and any Memsie Stakes at least this century, the best in that time by the great So You Think at 128 in 2010.
But what must also be taken into account is her lowest rating in the past six starts was fresh in the Orr over this route last time in, running to 114 when edged out by Mr Brightside, who must have a strong claim to this as well.
He has a swathe of ratings in that 120-125 mark that make Pride Of Jenni really need to stretch and I think the betting comes down to who is more wound up.
This preparation, Pride Of Jenni has had three jump outs, winning her past two, compared to last campaign when she had two, but she was only off an eight week spell that time.
Mr Brightside has had two jump outs which have been a bit tricky to get a gauge on. I think Pride Of Jenni might be here to rock and roll and while I loathe to take connections' comments on board, it seems as if they think that's the case.
He wasn't quite at his absolute best in the Autumn. He won the Lawrence with a rating of 116 and then improved to 122 to beat Pride Of Jenni in the Memsie. He improved slightly again in the All Star Mile but was no match before really struggling in the pair of 2000m races.
1400m fresh might be more in his favour but he's more dependent on what she does. I think the market has it about right with a slight lean to Jenni, and then there should be a bigger gap to the likes of Antino.
He was dynamic fresh over 1200m in Queensland last time in running to 118, staying too well off a breakneck speed but that's about as good as he goes, and both Jenni & Brightside can run that sort of rating doing cartwheels.
He'll relish the strong tempo but I think he's too close to the main pair in the market.
Leaning to Pride Of Jenni, but for a bet to appear I'll just go whichever way the market doesn't. If they want to start Jenni even money and we're getting $3-3.50 Mr Brightside, I'd be more than happy to back him in.
