Verry ready to step up to the Plate
TRAINER Chris Waller expects the intensity and pressure of a Cox Plate to bring the best out of champion mare Verry Elleegant at The Valley on Saturday.
“I’m fully aware Verry Elleegant has been beaten at Moonee Valley before but I’m not too concerned by that,’’ Waller said.
“I think she will be fine. She just needs to be on the back of the right horses.
“Let the race unfold as the pressure of the Cox Plate will suit her.’’
Verry Elleegant, the Horse of the Year, has firmed to $5 for the $5 million Cox Plate (2040m) behind $3 favourite Zaaki.
Although both are coming off indifferent runs — Verry Elleegant ran fourth to Incentivise in the Turnbull Stakes and Zaaki was third to Probabeel in The Might And Power — Waller expects the Sydney weight-for-age stars to bounce back in the Cox Plate.
“I thought Verry Elleegant would win the Turnbull, but she didn’t,’’ Waller said.
“What Incentivise did last Saturday in the Caulfield Cup is testament to how good he is. He’s a superstar.
“But we didn’t just not beat Incentivise, we got beaten by two others so there was enough to suggest she wasn’t 100 per cent.
“It is a little bit of a shame Zaaki and Verry Elleegant were both beaten last start because there was going to be a bit of the Northerly-Sunline build-up to the race but I’m sure they will both run very well in the Cox Plate.’’
Waller found Verry Elleegant’s blood picture wasn’t right after the Turnbull but
that has picked up quickly and the mare has regained her appetite, which the trainer says is always a good sign.
“It’s still a big margin to turn around,’’ Waller said. “But we know she is the type of mare that is very tough and responds to pressure.’’
Waller is aiming for a fifth Cox Plate with Verry Elleegant after mighty mare Winx’s unprecedented four successive wins between 2015-18.
Winx won a world-record 25 Group 1 races during her career while Verry Elleegant is aiming for her 10th at the highest level which would also take her earnings past $12 million.
If Verry Elleegant wins the Cox Plate, Waller will join John Hawkes as the only trainers to prepare two horses to win at least 10 Group 1 races.
Hawkes trained Octagonal to win 10 races at the highest level including the 1995 Cox Plate before the champion’s son, Lonhro, succeeded in 11 Group 1 races.
Both the sire and his son were Horse of the Year winners.
Coincidentally, Verry Elleegant is related to Octagonal and Lonhro. Waller’s mare is in-bred 5x5 to the legendary broodmare Eight Carat, the dam of Octagonal.