Bates trimming down for Jenni return

Ciaron Maher took a small but select group of horses to gallop at Caulfield on Tuesday morning, including Pride Of Jenni who is preparing for a first-up tilt at the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 7. 

Bates, who has not ridden since December 6 after being injured in a barrier incident at the Ballarat jump-outs shortly after, partnered the mare in the work-out as he builds fitness towards a racetrack return, possibly at Terang on Friday. 

The Irish jockey suffered a fractured pelvis and sacrum in the barrier incident, describing it as 'a nasty one'. 

"It's a frustrating injury because you can't give it any relief," Bates said. 

"Sitting down you're putting pressure on it and even lying in bed you're putting pressure on it. 

"That's why in the first month you don't feel like you're healing at all, so I was a little bit worried with the injury at first, but once it started coming good, in the last month especially, there has been rapid improvement and luckily, I'll be back ahead of schedule." 

Bates has been back riding trackwork just over a week and put 'eight or nine' horses through their paces at the Cranbourne jump-outs on Monday. 

He said he was looking forward to race riding again and in getting his fitness back up before partnering Pride Of Jenni in the All-Star Mile. 

"My fitness needs to tighten up a bit, but that's going to come as I go along," Bates said. 

"I was keen to get back racing two weeks before the All-Star Mile and that way it gives me a good two weeks of race riding before then. 

"Like me, she's got a bit of fitness to come on, but she feels her usual self, enthusiastic in her work, and that's what I wanted to see. 

"It's good to have a nice horse to look forward to. You always want to get back as quick as possible and when you have a nice horse it really helps the motivation to get back as strong and healthy as possible." 

Bates has ridden Pride Of Jenni in 19 of her 43 starts, winning four times at Group 1 level, including the mare's memorable victory in the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.