Maher provides update Pride Of Jenni, Okita Soushi and Jimmysstar

Ciaron Maher has provided an update on several horses as spring starts to heat up.

Maher touched on Pride Of Jenni as well as his best Melbourne Cup chance and the biggest threat in The Everest.

In 2024, Pride Of Jenni was retired after the horse bled from both nostrils following her underwhelming Group 1 Champions Mile run.

Since then the star has returned to work, but she hasn’t raced since May as Maher and connections, namely owner Tony Ottobre, navigate through the mare’s current racing ability and health.

“Pride Of Jenni, she’s down to have another jumpout again on Monday morning, so I’ll assess her again,” Maher revealed on SENTrack & RSN's Giddy Up.

“She lost a little bit of weight the other day, she’s got a little bit of fitness to make up, but she’s on the right path.

“She did have a healthy blow the other day, she’s a little bit older, it’ll take a little bit longer to come to hand, but all her other actions and demeanour seem fine.”

Another of Maher's key gallopers is Okita Soushi who ran third in last year's Melbourne Cup, and has been nominated again for this year's edition.

Maher described him as a 3200m specialist and suggests he will be in with a good chance to take out the race that stops a nation.

“Okita Soushi he was very good last year, he’s had one run back,” Maher admitted.

“You know he’ll run the two mile, it’s a specialist trip.

“He’d have to be a chance again.”

Maher’s gun sprinter Jimmysstar is locked in for Australia’s richest race The Everest, but the champion trainer is worried about the huge Hong Kong threat in Ka Ying Rising who could be very hard to beat.

“He looks clearly the one to beat and the market reflects that. He couldn’t have been more impressive (when resuming),” Maher said.

“It’s obviously different environments and you have to travel well, but the main thing is to have them forward and fit, so you don’t have to play catch-up when you are travelling.

“The travel wouldn’t be completely foreign to him either because he’s obviously gone over there from down here as well.

“It looks like 'Hayesy' (David Hayes) has him forward and right where he wants him.

“Providing he settles in, I say he’s going to be very hard to beat.”

Click here for to see how Ka Ying Rising has exceeded expectations.