Victorian HOTY finalists announced

Two of Victorian racing’s biggest names continued their spring preparations on Monday morning, just hours before being revealed as finalists in the year Victorian Racehorse Of The Year.

Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside had jumpouts 60km apart prior to being announced as Horse Of The Year rivals alongside Imperatriz, Romantic Warrior and Without A Fight.

The Victorian Racehorse Of The Year is voted on by a panel of industry officials and racing media and takes into account performances on Victorian racetracks only irrespective of where a horse is trained.

That means Pride Of Jenni’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes win can not be considered by voters but all other performances by the Ciaron Maher-trained mare, including her two Melbourne Cup Week Group 1 wins and her All-Star Mile success, can.

She condemned Mr Brightside to second placing in both the Champions Mile and All-Star Mile, but that Lindsay Park gelding did have her measure in the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes.

Mr Brightside’s 800m Flemington jumpout was his first of the campaign and the seven-year-old son of Bullbars had a low-key workout, finishing midfield, beaten around three lengths, after travelling wide throughout.

It was a different story at Cranbourne, where Pride Of Jenni was having her second jumpout of the campaign.

After a light workout two weeks earlier, the seven-year-old was allowed to bowl along in front on Monday and cruised to the line six lengths clear of her nearest rival.

Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside are slated to renew their rivalry in the $750,000 Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31.

The Victorian Racehorse Of The Year is one of a number of awards presented at this Saturday night’s Victorian Racing Awards, where the Scobie Breasley Medal, Tommy Corrigan Medal and the Most Outstanding Training Performance will also be presented.