2021 Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant hasn’t shown her best form this year.
There has long been talk of a trip to Europe for the superstar mare, which may now be on the cards in order to help reinvigorate her, but not in the race we all thought.
Ascot May Be the Port of Call
While it has been discussed many times over the prospect of Verry Elleegant competing in the famed Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, that move seems to have now been dismissed by Chris Waller as an option.
Instead, Ascot could be her intended destination on British Champions Day later in October. Whether this leaves the mare with time to get back to the Cup remains to be seen.
The 2400-metre British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes is the race under consideration now. Run under its current name since 2011, the roll of honour in the contest is impressive.
Journey, Star Catcher and Magical were all top-class winners of the race. But the sticking point is that the contest has been dominated by three-year-olds recently and Verry Elleegant would have a very tough task on her hands.
For her part, Chris Waller’s mare has won 11 times at the top level so far. She won last year’s Melbourne Cup impressively by four lengths from Incentivise too (see the final 2021 Melbourne Cup finishing order).
As of now, Verry Elleegant is just 25/1 for what is bound to be a red-hot Arc. Despite this, it seems the Fillies & Mares and/or a shot at a second Cup is more likely.
Waller Looking for A Return To ‘Dominating’ Form
Speaking publicly and via social media about his star performer, Waller accepts it seems that a run in the Arc would be a dream come true for the stable and for the owners.
However, given that she is now on a break it seems the Paris spectacular will come too soon. Waller now thinks that the Ascot race on October 15 is better, despite the Arc coming just 13 days earlier. She will be prepared in Australia for the assignment.
Waller is looking for Verry Elleegant to return to the form she showed when winning the Cup. The trainer described her as having “dominated” the race at Flemington.
Are the Cup Odds Affected?
Both Verry Elleegant and runner-up Incentivise, injured in last year’s race, have remained popular in the 2022 Melbourne Cup odds since last November.
There could be a changing of the guard this year with Hitotsu demanding most attention. European runners are also set to come back in force. Here’s how the latest odds look with the NZ TAB: 9.00 Hitotsu, 11.00 Incentivise, 11.00 Verry Elleegant, 15.00 Duais, 15.00 Kyprios, 15.00 Spanish Mission, 15.00 Stay Foolish, 18.00 Montefilia, 21.00 Manobo.
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