One Melbourne jockey is about to awarded what is potentially the spring’s biggest prize with the Melbourne spring ride on Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) to be confirmed on Monday.
Verry Elleegant could run in as many as three Groups One’s in Melbourne this spring – including the Cox Plate (2040m) and Melbourne Cup (3200m) – but as Sydney jockeys look destined to be locked out of Melbourne this spring due to COVID-19, a Melbourne-based jockey needs to be confirmed.
That confirmation is imminent according to part-owner Brae Sokolski.
‘’The ownership group will get together via a hook-up on Monday and we’ll vote in democratic fashion and then we’ll be in a position to announce that shortly after,’’ Sokolski said.
‘’Everyone wants to ride her so basically we have our choice from the Melbourne jockey’s ranks. I mean, who wouldn’t want to ride her?’’
Verry Elleegant will run first-up on Saturday in the season’s opening Group One race the A$500,000 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick with James McDonald aboard before she progresses to the Gr.1 A$1 million George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 18.
Then comes the fork in the road. She either stays in Sydney for the Gr. 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 2 or comes south for the Gr.1 A$750,000 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
History suggests Verry Elleegant will be here for the Turnbull.
‘’It will come down entirely to what is the best lead-up to the Cox Plate,’’ Sokolski said.
‘’She’ll go through the race that gives her the best chance of turning up on Cox Plate day in the best condition.
‘’With Winx, Chris (Waller) always gave her a run in Melbourne before her Cox Plates.
‘’That’s the formula that he has used with her and he used the same formula with Verry Elleegant running in Melbourne last spring prior to the Caulfield Cup.’’
Mark Zahra rode Verry Elleegant to win last spring’s Turnbull and Caulfield Cup before finishing seventh on her in the Melbourne Cup.
Verry Elleegant is at $2.80 to win the Winx Stakes with Sportsbet but that market has her main spring rival Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) marked as a possible runner.
Zaaki, who shades Verry Elleegant in early Cox Plate betting, is expected to run first-up in the Group 2 Tramway Stakes at Randwick on September 4.
