As new contender The Map goes for the JRA Plate, a former Cup winner is about to ramp up preparations.
2022 hero Gold Trip goes for the Peter Young this week and he’s a strong favourite too. His prep comes as we hear of the sad passing of another former winner, Verry Elleegant.
Money Coming for Trip at Caulfield
Having been entered, Gold Trip is now rock-solid at the head of the market for the Peter Young Stakes. The race is run this Saturday at Caulfield over 1800m, some way shy of the French-bred’s best trip.
Ciaran Maher, who until recently trained with David Eustace, is responsible for Gold Trip’s conditioning. He led Gold Trip to another very good spring, the full horse winning the Turnbull Stakes before a third-placed finish in the Caulfield Cup.
The seven-year-old is around a $2.35 shot now and has been even lower. Some top money has come in for him in anticipation of his run, with New Zealand mare Campionessa next in at $3.10.
The Start of a Similar Campaign?
Gold Trip also took part in last year’s Peter Young over at Sandown, ultimately finishing second. He had three more runs before a break that time and a similar schedule may be planned now.
After a three-week rest, Gold Trip ran twice in a week when taking in the Tancred at Rosehill and the Sydney Cup at Randwick. Ultimately, he was unsuccessful in those missions but they served him well.
Having been kept off the track for 22 weeks, he returned in preparation for the Melbourne Cup with a fourth in a handicap. After that, he took down the Turnbull and was placed in the Caulfield Cup.
Those efforts led him to be among the top Melbourne Cup tips, but he couldn’t repeat his 2022 win. Another well thought out campaign after the Peter Young though will see him well supported once more.
Verry Elleegant Passes Away
Top-notch mare Verry Elleegant has unfortunately passed. The awesome 2021 Melbourne Cup winner died following complications she suffered while giving birth.
Having landed multiple domestic races aside from the Cup, she was sent to France. Having not won her main target, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, she was retired from racing in 2022.
After retiring she was sent to stud. She had been in foal to the outstanding Sea The Stars and was three weeks overdue. After suffering a breech birth, she could not be saved. Her foal also died.
Verry Elleegant was trained by Chris Waller for the most part. She scored in 11 Group One races, the pinnacle being her outstanding four-length win in the 2021 Melbourne Cup under jockey James McDonald. She was also a Caulfield Cup winner and had some tremendous battles with English raider Addeybb.
The 2020-21 Australian Horse of the Year, Verry Elleegant was a true champion and will be remembered as such.
