The brilliant 5-year-old mare Fangirl will be an odds-on favorite to win the fourth Group 1 of her career in what is certain to be a poignant running of the $649,800 Verry Elleegant Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening. In late January, the Australian Turf Club announced that the one-mile race formerly known as the Chipping Norton Stakes had been renamed in honor of Verry Elleegant, the 2021-2022 Australian Horse of the Year. On Feb. 17, Verry Elleegant died as a result of complications of foaling, former trainer Chris Waller said. Verry Elleegant, who won 16 of 40 starts, was second in the 2020 Chipping Norton, and won the race in 2021 and 2022. :: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing Waller trains Fangirl, who has won 8 of 24 starts, racing primarily up to a mile. Verry Elleegant won at a variety of distances, and was the popular winner of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington in 2021. Fangirl, by the More than Ready stallion Sebring, won her 2024 debut in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 17, closing from eighth of nine to win by slightly more than 2 1/4 lengths. In the Verry Elleegant Stakes, Fangirl was 1-2 in early betting as of early Thursday to beat nine rivals, including the 6-year-old gelding Just Fine, who won the Group 1 Metropolitan Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Randwick last September. Just Fine has won three of four starts in Australia since he arrived from Britain in the winter of 2022-2023. The Verry Elleegant Stakes will be Just Fine’s first start since he finished last of 10 in the Caulfield Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Caulfield Racecourse last October. He was briefly owned by King Charles III of Britain in late 2022 before being sold for approximately $357,000 that autumn and sent to Australia. Also at Randwick on Friday evening, Learning to Fly and Kimochi will meet for the second consecutive race in the Group 1 Surround Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs. Kimochi finished a nose in front of Learning to Fly in the Group 2 Lightfinger Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 17 in the first start of 2024 for both fillies. Komochi was second in the Group 1 1000 Guineas at a mile at Caulfield last October. Prior to the Lightfinger, Learning to Fly had not raced since she unseated jockey Chad Schofield in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes for 2-year-old fillies last March. Schofield rode Learning to Fly in the Lightfinger and has the mount in the $487,350 Surround Stakes. Learning to Fly was the 2-1 favorite in early betting as of Thursday, while Kimochi was 5-1. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets. Randwick has a 10-race program beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern or 5:30 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available at DRFBets.com. * The Waller-trained Riff Rocket, winner of the Group 1 Victorian Derby at 1 9/16 miles at Flemington last November, will be a solid favorite to win his third consecutive race, and second start of the year, in Friday’s Group 1 Australian Guineas at Flemington. Riff Rocket won the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes at seven furlongs at Flemington on Feb. 17, closing from ninth in a field of 13 to finish three-quarters of a length in front of King Colorado, who is part of a field of 16 in the $649,800 Australian Guineas. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.