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.



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.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$2000 Mare Wins Winton Cup
Exciting southern mare The Grey Goose continued her faultless preparation with an impressive performance to win Sunday’s Hyde Landscaping and Wash Rite Winton Cup (1400m) at Ascot Park.
Sun City Filly to Target Karaka Million
The Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) has been the goal for Sierra Leone from the moment she was purchased at the Yearling Sales, and she took an important step towards the $1 million feature with a game second in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m).
New French Stakes-Winner for Churchill
Currently finishing his seventh season of shuttling to Coolmore Australia, Churchill has had a productive year and sired his 16th stakes-winner of 2024 when progressive three year-old filly Some Skye landed the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (1900m) at Chantilly.
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.
Better Than Ready's Port Lockroy Triumphs in G1 Railway Stakes
Interstate visitors have a poor winning record in the $1,500,000 Group 1 Swan Draught - Railway Stakes, but Port Lockroy played his part in squaring the ledger when choosing the perfect spot to end a run of bad luck in stakes races.
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Exciting Japanese G3 Winner
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart two year-old colt in Eri King, who made it three wins from three starts when taking out the Group III Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nissai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
One to Watch – Canberra
At the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast US investors Richard and Tammy Rigney of Rigney Racing purchased two yearling fillies by I Am Invincible for $2million and $1.2million and got a result with one of them in Canberra on Sunday.
Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup? - Verry Elleegant Back On Track
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.