Verry Elleegant Ready to Take on World

Media Release - Tuesday November 23

Australia’s darling of the turf, Verry Elleegant, will likely get her chance to pit her talents against the best in Europe next year.

The New Zealand-bred has nothing left to prove in Australia, having won 10 Group One races, ranging in distance from 1400m to 3200m.

Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant - image Grant Courtney

The Gr.1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) in Paris next September has been earmarked as her main target, a race that was bandied around by some of her owners previously.

"The owners raised the idea last year and I wasn't quite as keen, but I think now is a good time to do it,” Waller told UK Racing TV show Luck On Sunday.

"The beauty of Verry Elleegant is that she is adaptable over all distances. She's won a Group One race over 1400m through to 3200m now and she's won in all conditions.

"A very firm surface is no problem and a very wet surface, she is almost as effective. To me that is the right type of horse to travel.

"She's a very clean-winded horse who doesn't need a lot of work. She can do her work here in Australia and pick out two or three races over there.

Advertisement

"The owners have their hearts set on the Arc, which is obviously a very, very hard race to win.

“We wouldn't come expecting to win the Arc. It's just great racing and to be part of it is one thing and to have a horse good enough to be winning that many Group One races here in Australia, obviously she is at the level required to be at least competitive, of course respecting what we will be taking on."

While not yet certain whether Verry Elleegant may kick-off in England next winter on her way to France, Waller said her Australian preparation would include four starts and end with the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in April.

"She will start racing in mid-February and her last race in her preparation will be her fourth race and that will be about the 10th of April.

“We'll have that time to prepare to bring her across and work out whether we come out early or late and probably late being a mare with seasonal challenges and all."

The daughter of Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed was originally trained in New Zealand by part-owner Nick Bishara, for whom she won two of her three starts before her partial sale and move to Australia. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 26
Here is the full list of 74 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
First Winner for King of Comedy
Novara Park Stud stallion King Of Comedy (IRE) is on the board as a sire, with his son Sir Ruby becoming his first winner when victorious over 1300m at Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia on Sunday.
Impressive First winner for Armory
Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
One to Watch – Sha Tin – You Don’t See That Every Day!
The Mark Newnham stable has been on fire in Hong Kong since the start of the new season and the former Sydney trainer produced a super promising winner at Sha Tin on Sunday by Capitalist that did everything wrong and miraculously still won the race!
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.