Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup? - Verry Elleegant Back On Track

Mark Smith - Saturday Oct 5

Champion trainer Chris Waller will sit down with connections to determine whether to target the Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup with the four-year-old mare Verry Elleegant who scored a last stride win over the oh so gallant Samadoubt in Saturday's Group II Hill Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

James McDonald was back with the tailenders on the daughter of Zed turning into the home straight as Tim Clark had Samadoubt in his favoured frontrunning role. 

Advertisement


Winner last season of the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes and Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks, Verry Elleegant didn't flinch in the run to the line to defeat Samadoubt (Not A Single Doubt) by a nose with a further three-quarter of a length back to the winner's stablemate Life Less Ordinary (IRE) (Thewayyouare). (images Steve Hart). 

"I think we know where she is at," Waller said.

"We Just need to work out a race for her. I won't want to jump in today. It will be the Cox Plate or the Caulfield Cup.

"We just went back to the basics, that was why she was back last.

It was good to see her settling a lot better. While she only won by a small margin, I think the run had a bit of merit considering where she's come from."

Verry Elleegant advances her record to seven wins, two seconds and a third from 14 starts with earnings of $1,594,369.

Verry Elleegant has some interesting line breeding as her pedigree features a double cross of champion sire Danehill and inbreeding 4s x 4D to influential blue hen Cotehele House a daughter of the great Eight Carat (GB).

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 3yo colt by Haradasun named Grand Prospect. After missing to Zed in 2016 she has a yearling colt by Zed and was covered by the son of Zabeel last season.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Chase scores sentimental win at Otaki
Johnathan Parkes has had many memorable wins throughout his riding career, but his victory aboard Chase at Otaki on Thursday would feature right up there sentimentally.
2027 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1881 entries for the 2027 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 10
Here is the full list of 16 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Mornington
A homebred for Seymour Bloodstock with an intriguing pedigree opened her account with a stylish win at Mornington on Tuesday.
Star Kiwi Bred Mare Verry Ellegant Ready for Return
Dual Group One winner Verry Elleegant is one of four Chris Waller-trained gallopers nominated for Saturday’s Group I Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, joining stablemates Unforgotten, Youngstar and Kings Will Dream.
Haras d'Etreham Set Fee for Hotazhell
Triple Group I winner Hotazhell will begin his stallion career at Haras d'Etreham in France at a fee of €15,000 next year before then shuttling to Widden Stud in Australia.
Remembering Northerly – The Greatest Caulfield Cup Winner This Century
It's Caulfield Cup week, and what better moment to revisit the life and times of one of the greatest - if not the greatest - Caulfield Cup winner of the modern era.
Unraced First Season Sires Trial Report
It’s been a pretty steady start to spring in terms of 2YO races and we are still waiting to see a first season sire post a winner, but there has been action aplenty at the trials which would indicate the pre-Christmas period is set to ignite.
Latest Zed SW Brings Joy to Breeder
Saturday’s Group III  Winter Cup (1600m) added some black-type lustre to a brief foray into thoroughbred breeding for Carole and Doug Isaacson, who can owe their success to a showjumping win.
G3 Winter Cup Winner for Zed
Central Districts raider Dez took out Saturday’s Group III Winning Edge Presentations 122nd Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton courtesy of a peach of a ride from master jockey Chris Johnson.