Sunday, August 23, 2020 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here MORNING BRIEFING - PAGE 7 EBOR WINNER 20-1 FOR CUP - PAGE 11 YESTERDAY'S RACE RESULTS - PAGE 17 Verry strong win by Read Tomorrow's Issue For: The Week Ahead Elleegant mare in What's on Metropolitan meetings: Devonport (TAS) Race meetings: Mudgee (NSW), Wyong Winx Stakes (NSW), Casterton (VIC), Sale (VIC), Waller-trained mare on track for spring majors after Sunshine Coast (QLD), Carnarvon (WA), hard-fought first-up Group 1 victory Port Augusta (SA), International meetings: Kranji (SGP), LATEST NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND'S RACING Taipa (MAC), Deauville (FR) Saratoga (USA) International Group races: Deauville (FR) - Prix Morny (Gr 1, 1200m), Prix Jean Romanet (Gr 1, 2000m). Saratoga (USA) - Diana Stakes (Gr 1, 9f) Verry Elleegant (centre) SPORTPIX INDUSTRY NEWS runner-up Star Of The Seas (Ocean Park), now has BY TIM ROWE | @ANZ_NEWS the dilemma of how best to manage the tough, Multiple Cranbourne stables erry Elleegant (Zed) is poised to but slow-maturing mare’s campaign in order to in lockdown, Covid-19 test be a dominant force in the spring ensure she is in peak condition for the “majors”. results pending after the star mare won her fourth Before Verry Elleegant, a dominant H E Testing of more than 100 Cranbourne-based stable top-level race with a tough first-up Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m) winner at Rosehill staff employed by a range of trainers for Covid-19 Vvictory in the Winx Stakes (1400m), defying a in the autumn resumed this campaign, Waller was yesterday undertaken after the industry in long, wide run to take out the first Group 1 race and connections outlined the Caulfield Cup (Gr Victoria on Friday was thrown into chaos when an of the new racing season at Randwick. 1, 2400m) and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) as employee of Richard Laming’s returned positive Her trainer Chris Waller, who also prepared her primary targets. Continued on page 2>> to the illness. Industry News page 12 >> ENTER NOW JULY 24 -29 ONLINE SALE ENTRIES CLOSE JULY 22. Featuring broodmares, yearlings and racing stock. FRICatalogue 21ST available at inglisdigital.com- WED 26TH AUGUST 2020 INGLIS DIGITAL AUGUST SALE (LATE): SALE LIVE - VIEW HERE Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Verry strong win by Elleegant mare in Winx Stakes | 2 | Sunday, August 23, 2020 << Continued from page 1 After yesterday’s performance, Danroad) has since won a further seven races, four of them at the highest however, Waller pondered whether the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) would be level, for $3,421,700 in prize-money earnings. a better lead-up race for the mare who had never previously won first-up. Very Elleegant is a half-sister to two other winners but is the only "I think we have the right horse for the Melbourne Cup but if the stakes performer in the first two dams, although her third dam Chalet Girl weights 'kill' us we will go to the Cox Plate," Waller said. (Imposing) is a half-sister to high-class Australian three-year-old of the "She hasn't changed her physique but mentally she is coping so much mid-1990s Danewin (Danehill), a five-time Group 1 winner, and the late better with her racing. successful stallion Commands (Danehill). "She puts so much into her races and I think that might have Opulence has an unraced two-year-old who was purchased by John disadvantaged her a bit in the early days. Chalmers Bloodstock on behalf of leading Western Australian owner Bob "She would show a bit of stress and negative body language but now Peters at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for she has the confidence in herself and it is showing in her racing." NZ$140,000. She also has a yearling colt by Zed (Zabeel) but she was not Ridden by James McDonald, Verry Elleegant fought strongly late to covered last year. defeat stablemate Star Of The Seas (Ocean Park) by a nose. The Matthew Smith-trained Fierce Impact (Deep Impact) was a long Dame Giselle to the fore head away in third while the Waller-trained Imaging (Oasis Dream) was in Silver Shadow Stakes an eye-catching fourth. McDonald said Verry Elleegant was “without a doubt an absolute star”. "Her forte is her long, sustained sprint and it wasn't stopping today. It got stronger as the race went on," McDonald said. "For a horse that is a mile-and-a-half horse and being set for a Melbourne Cup, it's just incredible. "She would have to be the toughest mare I've ever had anything to do with." The one possible disappointment of the race for Waller was last season’s Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) and Golden Eagle (1500m) winner Kolding (Ocean Park) who finished 13th, seven lengths behind Verry Elleegant. Waller said: “(Jockey Glen Boss) said he doesn’t feel quite right - just Dame Giselle (rail) SPORTPIX not there yet. He didn’t tow him into the race as he would have hoped. I said, ‘stick with me and we’ll try to get him right’.” Quality filly Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible) has landed the first leg Master Of Wine (Maxios), the $6 equal favourite who is high up in of the Darley Princess Series for three-year-old fillies, benefitting from betting markets for the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup, a positive Tommy Berry ride to take out the Silver Shadow Stakes (Gr 2, finished a neck in front of Kolding in his return. 1200m) in her first run back from a solid juvenile career. His jockey Tommy Berry said the Hawkes Racing-trained six-year-old The valuable Peter and Paul Snowden-trained filly, who was taken “just grinded home”. to the lead after jumping better than expected, was able to hold off "Second-up last preparation he went to 2000 from 1400 (metres) and the challengers in the final stages, which was headed by Godolphin’s that's what he felt like he needed today," Berry said. Thermosphere (Exosphere). In contrast, Jason Collett was pleased with the return of third Dame Giselle, the Reisling Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner last March placegetter Fierce Impact. who was ridden by Tommy Berry, defeated Thermosphere who ran home “It was a good run. He settled nicely, got into a good rhythm and he gamely to finish a long head second. really quickened well and finished off nicely,” Collett said. Miss Canada (Exceed And Excel), a last-start maiden winner at A private purchase by Andrew Williams Bloodstock out of New Newcastle, was one and three-quarter lengths away in third place for Zealand as an early season three-year-old after she had raced just three Kris Lees and Australian Bloodstock, securing the filly a valuable stakes times for two restricted victories, Verry Elleegant (5 m Zed - Opulence by placing. Logo (without secondary wording) Continued on page 4>> MAGNUS Champion Victorian Based Sire Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) defeats Star Of The Seas (NZ) (Ocean Park) in the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) Visit. Invest. Win. www.nztm.co.nz Dame Giselle to the fore in Silver Shadow Stakes | 4 | Sunday, August 23, 2020 << Continued from page 2 The first two home in the Silver “It was a good tough win first up, she was pretty strong, her trial looked Shadow Stakes, at the very least, are likely to clash again in the Furious great and it’s good to see her back in form and to see her frank her two- Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick on September 9. year-old form too,’’ Sledmere’s Royston Murphy said. “It wasn’t our intention to be that far forward. Obviously there was “She always had plenty of scope about her and I thought what she did quite a lot of speed that was inside us, but when she jumped as well as she as a two-year-old was great because I didn’t think she’d be such an early did Tommy had every intention of going forward and she had a really nice two-year-old. run in front,” Paul Snowden said. “It’s not her go, but she was just too good “She’s matured now and thickened up and I think she’ll definitely in the end and her class rose to the top. make a really nice three-year-old and hopefully she can grab that Group 1 “She’s got a good campaign in front of her and she’s definitely not this prep. I always thought she’d get a mile so the Flight Stakes looks like a screwed right down yet, but just that easy section we were afforded mid- great target for her now. race certainly helped in the end.” “China Horse Club are our biggest supporters and they’re delighted, The Silver Shadow Stakes was turned on its head before the race when so we’re delighted.’’ pre-race favourite See You Soon (Siyouni) was scratched at the barriers Ballet Society has a yearling colt by Pride Of Dubai (Street Cry) but did after refusing to load, continuing the headaches for trainer Jean Dubois not get in foal last year. with his talented filly. Dame Giselle’s sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) will stand for Berry, who won the Silver Shadow Stakes last year on Libertini (I Am $209,000 (inc GST) at Yarraman Park Stud this year.