She’s back for a second shot at the ‘Loving Trophy’ as the best of four Chris Waller-trained Melbourne Cup 2021 horses and as the reigning Racehorse of the Year, there’s little doubt Verry Elleegant deserves her spot in the field.
Verry Elleegant has a huge task ahead as a mare with 57kg over the two miles in the 2021 Melbourne Cup field. Photo: Steve Hart.
The mighty mare is a nine-time Group 1 champion and her record at the highest level is outstanding.
A Caulfield Cup victory last year is one of the standouts on her glittering CV but can she add a Melbourne Cup to the resume?
A brave seventh to Twilight Payment in last year’s race, the now six-year-old daughter of Zed has some work to do from a wide alley this Tuesday.
Still, class and the will to win will take a horse a long way and Verry Elleegant has those in spades.
So, can she give Waller a maiden win in the Group 1 $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) and go down as one of history’s most incredible racehorses?
2021 Melbourne Cup Horse Form: #4 Verry Elleegant
Barrier: 19
Weight: 57kg
Jockey: James McDonald
Trainer: Chris Waller
Owner/s: Jomara Bloodstock Ltd, Ellee, Balmerino Racing Partnership, Mr M Wanzare, Mr T K Barry, Mr B F Sokolski, Mr A Kheir, Mr K M Stocker, Honeycomb Stud, Mr J A O’neill, Mr V Kheir
Age: 6yo
Gender: Mare
Breeding: by ZED (NZ) from OPULENCE (NZ)
Career: 33:14-7-3
Win: 42.42%
Place: 73.73%
Last 10: x3112x2143
Prize Money: $9,690,744
Track: 7:1-1-1
Distance: 1:0-0-0
Current 2021 Melbourne Cup Odds*: $12
Why Verry Elleegant Will Be the Next Mare to Win the Melbourne Cup in 2021
- She’s all class and the reigning Australian Racehorse of the Year
- Her record at the highest level is brilliant including nine Group 1 victories
- She’s won over $9 million in career prize money
- Waller to have her back-up off a Cox Plate third at 2040m to win the Melbourne Cup over 3200m
- Verry Elleegant is the early Melbourne Cup market mover
- Jockey James McDonald is absolutely airborne and thrilled to pick up the eleventh-hour ride after his original booking Away He Goes was withdrawn
- There’s a chance the mid-week predicted rain in Melbourne could come early and her chances would greatly improve if it does
Why Verry Elleegant Won’t Give Waller a 2021 Melbourne Cup Win
- Chris Waller is yet to prepare a Melbourne Cup winner with the bulk of his star runners best over the 1600m – 2000m distance
- She has a horror barrier draw out in gate 19
- With 57kg she carries the equal second highest weight in the race and is the heaviest-weighted mare
- While brave, her seventh in last year’s race with less weight suggests she could finish around that mark again this year
- The two-miles is a genuine query
- It would be a remarkable training performance from
- Could be too old as a six-year-old; four-year-olds (46 wins) and five-year-olds (44 wins) have dominated the race over the past 160 years
- Only 11 individual mares have won the Melbourne Cup; 16 wins in total for the females with three of those being by Makybe Diva (2003-05)
- No doubt she is brilliant but she may be just short of her best this season
- Fourth to Incentivise in the Turnbull Stakes over 2000m this campaign; her worst finish in a Group 1 since her Melbourne Cup 7th in 2020
*Note: 2021 Melbourne Cup odds are correct at time of publish, provided by Ladbrokes.com.au and subject to change without notice.
