Ciaron Maher‘s mare Pride of Jenni rewrote the record books with a breath taking performance in the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick.
Pride Of Jenni winning the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes by over six lengths on the line. Photo: Steve Hart.
In a display of dominance never witnessed before in a Group 1 race, Pride of Jenni absolutely demolished her rivals, leaving them in her dust to salute in the $5 million event over 2000m on Day 2 of The Championships.
The six-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai was expected to lead the field, but jockey Declan Bates took things a step further.
From the very start, Pride of Jenni surged ahead, building a staggering 30-length lead that she maintained throughout the entire 2000m race.
This once-unthinkable feat transformed a competitive field of star horses into mere spectators.
A speechless Maher, who had just celebrated a win with Circle of Fire in the Sydney Cup, struggled to express the magnitude of Pride of Jenni’s achievement.
“Phenomenal,” he finally managed. “I’ve never seen anything like that, ever…That’s the biggest win I’ve ever seen, let alone had anything to do with.”
Underrated in Queen Elizabeth Stakes betting, Pride of Jenni ($7) defied expectations.
Her dominance began at the 1400m mark, extending the lead as the race progressed, leaving the rest of the field scrambling for minor placings.
“I knew she’d get better the more she raced at 2000 meters,” Maher continued, still in awe. “My God, that was mind boggling…She ran an 11.1 [second sectional] at the mile. I never doubt Dec [and] she must have given him some amazing feel. Full credit to him. Incredible.”
Pride of Jenni maintained her blistering pace, stretching the lead to a remarkable 30 lengths at the top of the straight.
While the margin narrowed slightly in the final 200m, Bates never needed to push her to the limit.
She crossed the finish line a dominant 6.54 lengths ahead of the competition.
“That was all her today,” said a grateful Bates. “We’ve developed a great rhythm together, and she always responded when I asked her to ease back. Today, she just grabbed the bit and ran. I was actually worried we were going out too fast, but she wouldn’t have it. She knows better.”
Bates acknowledges the life-changing opportunities provided by trainer Tony Ottobre. “Just to be a part of this, you know, it is something special.”
While Pride of Jenni entered the race with some concerns about reaching the end of her prep, her exuberance from the start dispelled any doubts. “I knew when I got out today she had a spring in her step,” Bates said. “It is amazing. You can usually hear them coming, but I never needed to look back.”
The hot favourite, Chris Waller‘s Via Sistina ($1.85F), finished a distant second, highlighting the sheer brilliance of Pride of Jenni’s performance. Mr Brightside ($10) came in third, followed by Cascadian ($8.50) in what may be his final race.
Pride of Jenni’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory will undoubtedly be etched in racing history for years to come.
2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | PRIDE OF JENNI | Ciaron Maher | Declan Bates | 3 | 57kg | $7 | |||
| 2 | 8 | VIA SISTINA (IRE) | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 6.54L | 5 | 57kg | $1.85F | ||
| 3 | 1 | MR BRIGHTSIDE (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Craig Williams | 8.38L | 9 | 59kg | $10 | ||
| 4 | 2 | CASCADIAN (GB) | James Cummings | Ben Melham | 8.81L | 6 | 59kg | $8.50 | ||
| 5 | 5 | KOVALICA (NZ) | Chris Waller | Nash Rawiller | 10.04L | 7 | 59kg | $20 | ||
| 6 | 3 | BUCKAROO (GB) | Chris Waller | Blake Shinn | 12.19L | 2 | 59kg | $18 | ||
| 7 | 10 | PLACE DU CARROUSEL (IRE) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Tommy Berry | 13.35L | 8 | 57kg | $9 | ||
| 8 | 11 | CEOLWULF (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Tom Marquand | 14.17L | 1 | 55.5kg | $20 | ||
| 9 | 6 | ZEYREK (FR) | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Joshua Parr | 16.33L | 4 | 59kg | $101 | ||
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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