Leading Sydney jockey James McDonald is looking forward to continuing his association with multiple Group One winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) in the Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
The gun hoop missed her Victorian spring Group One double in the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and Caulfield Cup (2400m) but was reunited with the New Zealand-bred mare in the Gr.2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick 10 days ago.
They finished third behind Saturday race rivals Colette and Kolding, and McDonald was pleased with her first-up effort.
“She was fantastic,” McDonald told Sky Sports Radio. “She got in an awkward spot and it wasn’t her sort of race in terms of set-up – it was slow off the front and they sprinted home.
“She made very good ground late and I was impressed with the way she came back. She will be very hard to beat (on Saturday).”
McDonald said the track conditions will ideally suit Verry Elleegant, with the Sydney track rated a Soft6 on Wednesday, with rain forecast in the lead-up to the weekend. However, he warned many of her rivals will also appreciate the rain-affected track.
“All of those older horses are in the same boat. They all want a bit of cut out of the ground and they are all going to get that,” he said.
“It makes for a good race and she will be better once she gets to a mile and a quarter, a mile and a half.
“She has got to build to get there, but she is definitely good enough to win.”
The daughter of Zed was initially trained in New Zealand by part-owner Nicholas Bishara, for whom she won two of her three starts and placed in the other.
