The newly named Verry Elleegant Stakes is the feature on Saturday’s 10-race program at Royal Randwick.
Formerly known as the Chipping Norton, the $1 million mile contest has attracted a handful of familiar faces, including last fortnight’s Apollo Stakes winner Fangirl, who’s on track to start at a very short price.
Think It Over, Buckaroo, and Navajo Peak all come out of the same race, while last year’s Metropolitan winner Just Fine makes his return to the races coming off a pair of impressive trials.
Now named after the late, great mare, can Chris Waller claim his 11th win?
Our Top 3 thoughts ahead of this year’s Verry Elleegant Stakes can be found below!
Suggested Betting Tips
- 3 Units Fangirl
- 1 E/W Buckaroo
Verry Elleegant Stakes – Winner
The trend of short-priced Group 1 favourites continues on Saturday with Fangirl out for revenge after finishing runner-up to Anamoe in this same race last year.
Chris Waller’s talented mare made us forget all about two forgive runs in the Cox Plate and Champions Mile to wrap up the spring, resuming a dominant two-length winner in the Apollo a fortnight ago where she went around at equally short odds.
Despite being caught three deep in the early stages, the five-year-old by Sebring was given a nice patient steer under James McDonald, peeling out wide into the home turn where she let down with a ripping turn of foot to secure the spoils.
Like we saw last year in the King Charles Stakes, the rise to the mile poses absolutely no problem at all, while she’ll likely appreciate a bit of extra sting out of the track with rain forecast.
Suggested Bet: No. 9 Fangirl
Verry Elleegant Stakes – 2nd
Buckaroo is an intriguing import for Team Waller that has big upside second-up from a spell.
The Fastnet Rock entire was far from disgraced over this same track and distance in last year’s King Charles on debut, settling toward the tail early on and forced to make up ground down the outside.
He had a bit go against him fresh in the Apollo a fortnight ago, squeezed late over the final 100m between a pair of runners and ultimately appearing in need of the run.
The rise to the mile is suitable at this stage of his prep though, while some form around the like of Anmaat and Light Infantry overseas still reads well on his resume.
Proven in the wet with improvement still to come, he should be one of the toughest to hold out if he gets the right run.
Suggested Bet: No. 4 Buckaroo
Verry Elleegant Stakes – 3rd
Randwick has proven a happy hunting ground for Atishu, notably winning the Queen Of The Turf just under a year ago where she went around at 10-1.
Waller’s mare was one of the more disappointing runs to emerge from the C.F. Orr Stakes a fortnight ago, taken right back under Michael Dee where she simply had too much ground to make up in the run home.
To my eye, she didn’t do much in the finish, but as we saw during the spring coming off a similar flat effort in the King Charles, she is prone to quick improvement as she progresses into her prep.
After finishing second last, the Savabeel mare went on to run second in the Empire Rose three weeks later over the mile, before eventually winning the Mackinnon ahead of Duais to wrap up her prep.
She might be better suited over further, but a wet track could prove key to her chances.
Suggested Bet: No. 10 Atishu
