The Ciaron Maher stable is keeping their options open with reigning Horse of the Year Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) who is being prepared for a Group One assignment in Brisbane.
Pride Of Jenni was noted among early nominations for the Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday, a Quality Handicap that carries a 61kg maximum topweight.
Maher’s assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said Pride Of Jenni holding an entry for next Saturday was one option for the mare in the lead up to the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) on May 24.
“I wouldn’t read too much into it,” Turnbull said.
“It’s just her holding a nom and for us keeping our options open.
“We may go anywhere. We could use that as a jump-out, I guess, but the likelihood is that she will jump-out the Monday after.
“It’s an option, if the weather came and the tracks weren’t up to scratch, but being entered, certainly doesn’t mean that she is going there.”
The Doomben Cup is in the Maher team’s eyes after Pride Of Jenni returned to owner Tony Ottobre’s property on the Mornington Peninsula after her defeat in the Australian Cup last month.
Turnbull said the stable had not been able to identify any cause for Pride Of Jenni’s below par performance at Flemington, other than the quick back-up off a peak return winning performance at Caulfield two weeks earlier.
“In a perfect world we would have loved to have gone three to four weeks between runs, but sometimes, how the programs are, you’re just forced into running two weeks, some cop it, some don’t,” Turnbull said.
“It was possibly the only thing we could put it down to as physically she was fine.
“Her throat was OK and everything we see at home is positive. Since she had that break, the enforced lay-off, she’s been as clean as a whistle.
“She’ll gallop Monday. She had a course proper gallop at Cranbourne on Tuesday. She worked really well and everything is positive.”
Turnbull said Cambridge Stud owned Holymanz (NZ) (Almanzor) would head to the Anniversary Vase on Saturday.
