All roads lead to 2021 Cox Plate for Verry Elleegant
Verry Elleegant has had her plans of travelling to France and competing in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe put on hold, with connections instead choosing to aim the 2020 Caulfield Cup winner towards the Cox Plate this spring.
Over the past 18 months there had been plenty of chatter that the eight-time Group 1 winner would head to the Northern Hemisphere for a crack at one of Europe’s most famous races, but now she looks set to remain on Australian shores for the foreseeable future.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a key reason behind the decision to keep Verry Elleegant at home. If the situation has changed in 12 months’ time, then she could be sent to compete in France as a seven-year-old.
The Arc is set to be run on October 3, and logistically there was no chance the Chris Waller-trained mare would be raring to go for this year’s running.
Verry Elleegant was last seen finishing a half-length off arch-rival Addeybb in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes during The Championships. However, she more than enhanced her reputation as one of Australia’s best runners when taking out two Group 1 races in the Chipping Norton Stakes and the Ranvet Stakes.
The daughter of Zed contested the 2019 Cox Plate when finishing 12th behind Lys Gracieux as a $21 chance, but since that day she has made herself known as one of the best horses in the country.
It is expected that Verry Elleegant will follow a similar campaign leading into the Cox Plate as she did when heading towards the Caulfield Cup last spring.
A first-up run in the Winx Stakes is expected, with her first run in Melbourne to be in the Turnbull Stakes, which will leave her three weeks between runs heading into the Cox Plate.
The Kiwi-bred mare is an $11 chance with online bookmakers to take out one of the greatest weight-for-age races in the world, with boom-horse Zaaki a $4 favourite in Cox Plate futures markets following his dominant win in the Doomben Cup.