Australia: Verry Elleegant takes another swing at George Main Stakes

Verry Elleegant, widely considered the leading candidate for the title of Australian Horse of the Year for the 2020-2021 season, will be a heavy favorite to win her ninth Group 1 race in Saturday’s $729,200 George Main Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick in Australia.

The George Main Stakes, which drew a strong field of nine, will be Verry Elleegant’s second start of the new season, which began on Aug. 1. Verry Elleegant was second by a neck to Mo’unga in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on Aug. 21 in her first start since April.

A winner of 13 of 30 starts, the 6-year-old Verry Elleegant is in a familiar position as a leading contender in the George Main, having finished fourth in the race the last two years.

In 2020, Verry Elleegant finished behind Kolding and Star of the Seas in the George Main Stakes, and later won the Group 1 Caulfield Cup in Melbourne, one of Australia’s leading races.

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Earlier this year, Verry Ellegant won consecutive Group 1 races in the Chipping Norton Stakes at a mile at Randwick and the Ranvet Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens.

Kolding and Star of the Seas are part of Saturday’s George Main field, with Kolding rated as a better prospect of the two. Kolding was ninth in the Winx Stakes, beaten about 1 3/4 lengths.

Think It Over, the winner of the Grade 2 Chelmsford Stakes at a mile at Randwick on Sept. 4, is considered the biggest threat to Verry Ellegant. Think It Over was sixth in the Winx Stakes.

Verry Ellegant, who runs from off the pace, will be ridden by James McDonald. Chris Waller trains Verry Ellegant.

In the race following the George Main, Waller starts Nature Spirit, the 2019-2020 Australian Horse of the Year, in the Group 2 The Shorts Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs. Nature Spirit, a winner of 17 of 31 starts, was the 7-5 favorite in early betting on Thursday.

Randwick has a 10-race program that begins at 9:40 p.m. Eastern, or 6:40 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes tops at Caulfield

The Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at seven furlongs is the highlight of Saturday’s nine-race program at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.

The three leading contenders raced at Caulfield on Aug. 28.

Probabeel, a 5-year-old mare who won her eighth stakes in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes at six furlongs at Caulfield that day, was the 9-2 second choice on Thursday for the Sir Rupert Clarke behind Beau Rossa, who was second by a head to Behemoth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes on Aug. 28.

The $729,200 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes is run as a handicap. Behemoth will carry topweight of 130 pounds, compared to Probabeel at 125.6 and Beau Rossa at a favorable 121.

Beau Rossa has won 5 of 12 starts and was 7-2 as of Thursday.

The Caulfield program begins at 10:30 p.m. Eastern, or 7:30 p.m. Pacific, on Friday.