Top jockey Declan Bates has been dropped by Pride Of Jenni’s owner for their Champions Mile defence at Flemington on Saturday, with Ben Melham called up to steer the mare.
The 36-year-old has won Group 1 fillies three times, including winning the $3 million Mile of Champions last year and the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes earlier this year, but he will not have another chance this weekend.
It has been revealed that just hours after Bates qualified for the Melbourne Cup, Pride Of Jenni’s owner Tony Ottobre has decided to part ways with the winning combination.
“It was an honor to ride Jenny’s Pride and it was the best experience of my career,” Bates said on Wednesday. “
She’s definitely a once in a lifetime horse. Good luck to her and Tony on Saturday.” We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Ottobre family in the future.”
Melham will now ride Pride Of Jenni in what is expected to be the final race of the season.
The seven-year-old finished eighth of nine runners in the 2040m Cox Plate at the end of last month, becoming the record winner Via Sistina by 16 lengths.
“I was just flat,” Bates said after the race.
“I’ve known for a long time that he wasn’t going to take me from them, so I couldn’t help but question him a bit. “
She looked like she stuck with it and hopefully she did, but it was a bit flat today.
Bates rode Pride Of Jenni for the first time in 2021, while Jamie Ka, Jye McNeil, Blake shin and Robbie Dolan also became regular jockeys last year, which we’ve boarded before.
He won twice at Flemington in a week, including the Mile of Champions during the 2023 Spring Carnival.
Pride of Jenni was expected to be overhauled after the Cox Plate late last month, but Ottobre and trainer Ciaron Maher have decided to tackle the Champions Mile again and will now do so with a new rider.
Melham rode Manolo Bling to victory in Race 4 at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
He raced two Maher-trained contenders, Convener (9th in Race 5) and Strawberry Rock (4th in Race 6).
The 36-year-old has 21 Group 1 wins.
Elsewhere in the Champions Mile, Craig Williams remains top contender Mr Brightside after finishing well behind Pride of Jenni last year.
James MacDonald rides Fangirl again (4th in 2023).
