Princess Jenni has broken her winning drought after just holding on from well-backed import, Pondus, in the 2020 Bendigo Cup.
The 0.1 length victory in the Group 3 event breaks the 5-year-old’s 397 days stint outside the winners’ stall.
Upon finally finding some luck in-running, trainer, David Brideoake, was full of praise for the five-year-old Mare.
“She’s such a good horse.
“Look honestly, this preparation she hasn’t done anything wrong.
“She’s just had a series of (bad) gates and circumstances that just didn’t allow us to get a result, but that’s a good result,” Brideoake said on the racing.com broadcast.
Her last win came at Moonee Valley, September 2019, in the Stocks Stakes when Damien Oliver was aboard.
Ear-muffs were re-applied to Princess Jenni today, but Brideoake was adamant the win was down to his “star” mare.
“Her first couple of runs this time in were with the ear muffs on. We took them off when we were back at the mile, then put them back on today,” Brideoake said.
Jockey, Jye McNiel, positioned Princess Jenni just off-pace, in 5th position, before presenting her to the outside before the 400 metre mark.
“I knew she was in good shape, and the ride, the ride was just outstanding,” Brideoake said.
This race was a chance for the winner to gain a weight-penalty to move up the Melbourne Cup ballot order.
Princess Jenni however, will bypass the Melbourne Cup to go to the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes, on Stakes Day, Saturday November 7th.
“We just didn’t get enough mile-and-a-half work into her (to go to the Melbourne Cup), but there’s always next year.
“That’s the one (The Matriarch), I think that’s possibly where we are going to go,” Brideoake said.
The result will likely put an end to Joseph O’Brien trained Pondus’ Melbourne Cup chances.
He currently sits 39th in the ballot order, which won’t be high enough for him to gain a start in the race.
Bendigo trained galloper, Super Girl, did however put a sour taste on the race as she broke-down, not long after the field past the post for the first time.
The Mare was devastatingly euthanised and, trainer, Josh Julius was horrified by the outcome.
“Devastated is an understatement. 2020 can get in the bin. Feeling for my team at home and the Middlemis family. Not how today was supposed to go #alwaysthegoodones” Joshua Julius announced via twitter.
