Australia: Verry Elleegant getting ready for big stakes in Turnbull

The brilliant mare Verry Elleegant is on a familiar path to Australia’s most famous races in coming weeks.

Saturday at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Verry Elleegant will start as narrow favorite in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at 1 1/4 miles, a prep for the Group 1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Oct. 23.

Last year, Verry Elleegant won the Turnbull and the Caulfield Cup and was later sixth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November. This year, she is rated as a prospect for the Cox Plate.

Saturday’s $721,110 Turnbull Stakes drew a tougher field than last year. Verry Elleegant will face the red-hot gelding Incentivise, a winner of seven consecutive starts since April, and Sir Dragonet, the winner of the 2020 Cox Plate. The Turnbull drew a field of 10.

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Verry Elleegant, a winner of 14 of 31 starts, won the Group 1 George Main Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on Sept. 18. A win in the Turnbull would be the 6-year-old New Zealand-bred mare’s 10th Group 1 win.

Trained by Chris Waller, Verry Elleegant was 7-5 in early betting on Thursday, a slight choice over Incentivise at 9-5. Sir Dragonet was 8-1. Incentivise and Sir Dragonet were first and third in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at a mile at Flemington Racecourse on Sept. 11, the first start since May for Sir Dragonet.

Incentivise, trained by Peter Moody, had his Group 1 debut in the Makybe Diva. The winning streak began in a maiden race at Sunshine Coast in April and includes races ranging in distances from a mile to 1 9/16 miles. Incentivise is trained by Peter Moody, famous for guiding the career of the sprinter Black Caviar, who was undefeated in her 25-race career, from 2009 to 2013.

The Flemington program begins at 10:10 p.m. Eastern, or 7:10 p.m. Pacific, on Saturday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

In the race following the Turnbull Stakes, the 6-year-old gelding Grand Promenade will be a slight favorite in the Group 3 Bart Cummings Stakes at 1 9/16 miles. The winner receives an automatic berth to the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 2.

Grand Promenade, trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, was fifth by three lengths after a wide trip in the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington on Sept. 18. Grand Promenade is part of a full field of 16 in the $540,825 Cummings Stakes.

Randwick

There are three Group 1 races and one Group 2 race worth $721,100 on a 10-race program at Randwick, which has a first post time of 9:50 p.m., Eastern, on Friday.

Verry Elleegant was scratched from the Group 2 Yulong Hill Stakes, worth $721,100, in favor of the Turnbull. Think It Over, third to Verry Elleegant in the George Main, has inherited the role of favorite in the race at 1 1/4 miles and will be around even-money.

Four Moves Ahead and Mallory, first and second in the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on Sept. 18, have excellent chances in the Group 1 Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. Their main rival is Startantes, who had a three-race winning streak end with a sixth against males in the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday.

The Group 1 Epsom Handicap at a mile has a purse of $1.08 million and a competitive field of 17. Mo’unga, who beat Verry Elleegant in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at seven furlongs in August and was second to Incentivise in the Makybe Diva, is the topweight at 125.6 pounds. Riodini, second in the George Main, was a slight favorite at 4-1 on Thursday. Riodini will carry 113.5 pounds.

The Group 1 Metropolitan Handicap at 1 1/2 miles could produce runners for the Melbourne Cup. She’s Ideel, Montefilia, and Entente, the first three finishers of the Group 3 King Town Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Randwick on Sept. 18, renew their rivalry in the $540,825 Metropolitan, which drew a field of 17.