Ciaron Maher remains skeptical of the so-called “second-up syndrome,” but he acknowledged that Pride Of Jenni may have felt the toll of her dominant first-up performance after a disappointing run in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington on Saturday.
Despite high expectations, the star mare was unable to break away from the pack mid-race and quickly faded, becoming the first horse to drop out of contention. However, Maher hasn’t ruled out a possible appearance during the Sydney carnival, depending on how she pulls up from the race.
Encouragingly, initial veterinary assessments indicated that Pride Of Jenni emerged from the run in good physical condition. Maher confirmed there were no signs of a bleeding episode like the one that led to her brief retirement last spring following a similarly lackluster performance.
Racing Victoria’s veterinary team later supported these findings, reporting that post-race examinations did not reveal any significant health concerns.