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By Ray Hickson

When you’re the rider of Pride Of Jenni you know there’s always going to be a target on your back but Declan Bates says he likes to use that fact to his advantage.

Jockey Delcan Bates (Pic: Bradley Photos)

It’s been that way since the popular front-running mare’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes win last year.

Bates, who was the pilot that day, is buoyed by an impressive first-up win and says he and the eight-year-old mare have some unfinished business in Saturday’s Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (1609m) at Randwick.

“I wouldn’t say the Queen Elizabeth was an anomaly, it was an unbelievable performance, and since then the other riders are more aware not to give her so many lengths,’’ Bates said.

“But sometimes it can work in her favour because others are out of their comfort zone to try to go with her.

“I’ll ride her where she’s comfortable and use that asset of hers in the right manner. We ran a nice second last year and it’d be great to make amends this year and get a win.”

It’s a different scenario for Pride Of Jenni in 2025 in that she’ll arrive at Randwick second-up from a spell on the back of beating Treasurethe Moment in the Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The Ciaron Maher-trained mare won that race last year too but the King Charles was her fourth run for the preparation so she’s on fresher legs this time around.

Bates said he’s seen some change in Pride Of Jenni, $4.80 with TAB on Wednesday, this spring and it gives him a good deal of confidence.

“The King Charles has been very much a key race for her,’’ he said.

“I didn’t ride her through the autumn but with each prep she’s matured and got that little more relaxed.

“In her work leading into her first up run she felt as good as ever but you never really know until race day. For her to come out and put in a performance as she did gives every indication she’s essentially as good as ever.

“We might not necessarily be hell for leather from the get go but her best asset is her sustained speed and we will be looking to use that.

“She’s not as hard on herself and I think that’s why she’s able to put in these big performances.”

It’s not difficult to marvel at a horse like Pride Of Jenni and Bates said she truly is a rare animal.

Speculation at times over whether she should be retired has never fazed him and he says she’s clearly a horse that wants to be at the races.

“She seems to keep coming back, she’s made of different stuff I think,'' he said

“The talk was with her run style she will eventually burn out and that would be it, she has put in a few runs not up to scratch but she seems to bounce back from them.

“Her first-up run was awesome and she’s come through it well, she’ll rock up to Randwick in peak condition.”

The presence of Pride Of Jenni makes trainer Bjorn Baker more comfortable about asking his filly Within The Law to take on weight-for-age for the first time with just 48kg on her back.

He’s content with missing last week’s Gloaming Stakes and is looking forward to how the Flight Stakes runner-up handles the challenge.

“This is a little bit of a stepping stone and a race I thought we’re extremely well set up,’’ he said.

“She’s going to be fifth-up into it, her runs have been really good but she hasn’t got into a truly run race. That’s what she looks to get.

Feehan Stakes | Pride Of Jenni

Back with a BANG! 💥 The 3x G1 winner winds back the clock to go back-to-back in the Feehan with @decbates back in the saddle for @cmaherracing 💪

📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a034ry pic.twitter.com/1tqoIkUAo6

— Racing.com (@Racing) September 26, 2025

Pride Of Jenni wins the Feehan Stakes (Video: Racing.com on X)

“She’s got weight-for-age, it’s a big ask and that’s when you talk to someone like Scott Darby and throw around these ideas. He did it when Yankee Rose ran third in a Cox Plate.”

Baker said Within The Law could back up into the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) next week or be redirected into the Wakeful and VRC Oaks.

He warns not to overlook Pericles in the King Charles after the Godolphin galloper’s third placing in the Epsom Handicap.

“There may be a little bit of an improvement with the two weeks between runs, he’s still at the mile and he’s going to get a truly run race,’’ he said.

“His work has been good and I think he’s a big each-way chance.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s TAB Everest meeting at Randwick