Elleegant Oaks Winner

Tara Madgwick - Saturday April 13
The Kiwi breds might have missed in the Australian Derby last week, but they came to the fore in the Group I ATC Australian Oaks on Saturday on the second day of The Championships when Verry Elleegant zoomed to the line to win the 2400 metre staying test with authority.




Now with Chris Waller after beginning her career in New Zealand and then transferring to Darren Weir last spring, Verry Ellegant is now producing the results she has always promised.

Verry Elleegant - image Steve HartTalented, but wayward in the spring, she is now racing as a real professional and after winning the Group I ATC Vinery Stud Stakes last start was sent out favourite for the Australian Oaks.

Partnered by James McDonald, who is building a real affinity with her, Verry Elleegant delivered a career best performance to storm home and beat Scarlet Dream (Sebring) by nearly two lengths with Frankely Awesome (Frankel) a brave third after being forced to take up the lead mid race when the pace slowed.

"She came from Darren Weir in top order and they did a fantastic job to get her to where she was, but my team have also done a fantastic job as they do with all of our horses," said Waller, who has tinkered with her gear electing to remove a nose roll and replace it with ear muffs in a bid to calm the at times fractious filly.

"She was her own worth enemy last spring…. I think she'll have a great spring this year."

Verry Elleegant advances her record to six wins, two seconds and a third from 11 starts with earnings of $1.2million

She is the best of three winners out of the Danroad mare Opulence whose granddam Chalet Girl (Imposing) is a half-sister to Danewin and Commands and comes from the same Eight Carat family of Verry Elleegant's sire Zed.

Opulence has a 2yo colt by Haradasun named Grand Prospect. After missing to Zed in 2016 she had a colt by the son of Zabeel last season before being bred back to him last spring.

Verry Elleegant has some interesting line breeding as her pedigree features a double cross of champion sire Danehill and also influential blue hen Cotehele House.



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