Australia: Vanguard favored as he switches from jump races to the flat

A trio of New Zealand-bred stayers – Vanguard, Gunaluva, and Savvy Acquisition – appear poised to dominate a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Hamilton Racecourse in Australia on Monday.

Vanguard was the 8-5 favorite in early betting on Saturday even though the durable 5-year-old gelding has not started since he won a maiden race over hurdles at 1 15/16 miles and a maiden race over fences at 2 9/16 miles in his last two starts in New Zealand in a four-day span in September.

Trained by Symon Wilde, Vanguard will have his 10th start and first race in Australia on Monday. With experience in jump races, stamina will not be an issue for his comeback. This will be Vanguard’s first start in a flat race since a win in a maiden race at 1 5/16 miles in New Zealand on Sept. 3.

Overall, Vanguard had four starts in less than three weeks in September.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

Gunaluva, also trained by Wilde, is winless in seven starts since a handicap at 1 7/16 miles at Newcastle Racecourse in December 2020. Gunaluva has started once this year, finishing sixth of eight in a handicap at 1 3/8 miles at Colac Racecourse on Feb. 11 in the 5-year-old gelding’s first start for Wilde.

Savvy Acquisition is a four-time winner who will be making his 66th start. A 7-year-old gelding, Savvy Acquisition has had fairly good form in recent months, even without winning. Trained by Austy Coffey, Savvy Acquisition won a handicap at about 2 1/2 miles at Warrnambool in November before finishing ninth of 10 in a handicap at 1 3/4 miles at Kyneton in December.

In his 2022 debut last Tuesday, Savvy Acquisition was last of six in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Stawell Racecourse, but was beaten slightly less than two lengths.

The rapid turnaround appears to be a positive for the veteran. Savvy Acquisition was 5-1 as of Saturday, and is an alternative to the two Wilde-trained runners.

The best of the Australian-bred runners in the distance race at Hamilton is Rexmont, a 9-year-old gelding who has started in flat and jump races in the last year. Rexmont is winless in six starts since a two-mile chase in April. Rexmont was seventh of nine, beaten nearly 10 lengths, in a handicap at 1 1/4 miles at Kilmore Racecourse on Jan. 11 in his lone start this year.

Hamilton has an eight-race program beginning at 9:10 p.m. Eastern or 6:10 p.m. Pacific on Sunday. The marathon handicap is the second race. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Verry Elleegant wins 11th Group 1

Verry Elleegant, the winner of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in November, won her 11th race at the highest level in Saturday’s $428,340 Chipping Norton Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in her second start of 2022.

Ridden by James McDonald, Verry Elleegant rallied wide with a quarter-mile remaining to take the lead in the final furlong. The 6-year-old New Zealand-bred mare finished a head in front of 70-1 She’s Ideel, who was 10th in the Melbourne Cup.

Verry Elleegant paid $4.70 as the favorite. This was the second consecutive year she won the Chipping Norton Stakes.

Trainer Chris Waller told the Australian press after the race that Verry Elleegant will be raced in Group 1 races at 1 1/4 miles at Sydney-area tracks in coming months, with the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on March 19 and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 9 as immediate goals.

Last year, Verry Elleegant won the Ranvet and was second in the Queen Elizabeth as part of a 2020-2021 campaign that saw her named Australia’s Horse of the Year.