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

Mark Smith - Saturday October 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. 


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...
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Thursday November 21
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.
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.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.
Vale, Danny Champion
The thoroughbred racing industry is in mourning following the passing of respected horseman Danny Champion.
Million-dollar Hour for Leung at NZB Ready To Run
Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
$2,000 Gavelhouse Bargain Keeps on Winning!
The Grey Goose continued to belie her purchase price last start when recording her fifth win at Wingatui, bringing her career earnings to more than $225,000.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.