Australia: Verry Elleegant steps up with Caulfield Cup triumph

Verry Elleegant held off a sustained threat from Irish import Anthony Van Dyck to win her sixth Group 1 race in Friday’s $3.54 million Caulfield Cup at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia.

The performance confirmed Verry Elleegant’s status as the leading female contender for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 3, the country’s most famous race.

Verry Elleegant ($7 in American pools) closed from the middle of a field of 18 with a wide rally to take the lead in the final furlong. Anthony Van Dyck, third in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, closed with an even wider rally to reach contention in the stretch, but could not pass Verry Ellegant.
Anthony Van Dyck finished three-quarters of a length in front of stretch leader The Chosen One.

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Verry Ellegant was ridden by Mark Zahra and trained by Chris Waller, and was their first wins in the Caulfield Cup. Waller is well known as the trainer of the brilliant Winx, who won 33 consecutive races from 2015-19.

A 5-year-old New Zealand-bred mare, Verry Elleegant has won 11 of 24 starts, including Group 1 races in three of her last four starts.

The Caulfield Cup at 1 1/2 miles was her final start before the Melbourne Cup. As of Saturday, Verry Elleegant and Anthony Van Dyck were 10-1 in future-book betting for the Melbourne Cup behind Tiger Moth (6-1), Russian Camelot (8-1), and Surprise Baby (9-1). Anthony Van Dyck and Tiger Moth are trained by Aidan O’Brien.

The Caulfield Cup was the most prestigious race in Australia on Saturday, but not the richest.

In the $10.7 million Everest Stakes for sprinters at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Classique Legend ($6.60) won the six-furlong race by 2 1/2 lengths over 10-1 Bivouac, closing from seventh in early stretch with an attractive rally. Gytrash finished a half-length behind Bivouac in the field of 12.
Nature Spirit, the 2020 Australian Horse of the Year, finished seventh, beaten 3 3/4 lengths after racing in second with a furlong remaining.

Classique Legend, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, is trained by Les Bridge and was sixth in the 2019 Everest Stakes, a subscription-style race in which owners purchase berths. The Everest is not a group-level race.

The Everest was Classique Legend’s third start in four weeks, all at Randwick. Classique Legend won the Group 2 The Shorts Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 19 and was second in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at six furlongs on Oct. 3.

Classique Legend, a 5-year-old Australian-bred gelding, will be considered for the Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong in December, Bridge told Australian media.

MONDAY PREVIEW

Monday is a quiet start to the week in Australian racing.

Muswellbrook has an eight-race program, beginning at 10:15 p.m. Eastern, or 7:15 p.m. Pacific, on Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

In the seventh race, a handicap at 7 1/2 furlongs, Brother Bassy will be a slight favorite over Sensacova in a field of 11. Brother Bassy won consecutive starts in handicaps at Muswellbrook in March and April, but was ninth and 10th in handicaps at Mudgee and Tamworth following a four-month break during the Australian winter.

Sensacova, a 7-year-old Australian-bred mare, is winless in 19 starts since January 2019, but was second by 1 3/4 lengths in the minor Cootamundra Cup at a mile at Cootamundra Racecourse on Oct. 4.