Australia: British Champions Day at Ascot has emerged as an alternative European target for Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant after the 11-time G1-winning mare was ruled of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
An ambitious tilt at Europe’s richest had been a long-stated ambition of her ownership group but discussions with trainer Chris Waller have resulted in the Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares at Ascot on October 15 being identified as a better fit within her proposed schedule for the Aussie spring in the second half of the year.
The six-year-old will be given a five-week break and then three runs in Australia before a final decision is made as to whether to head to Europe or stay at home.
Very Elleegant beat Incentivise by four lengths to land the Flemington two-miler in November and has run four times since, winning the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes in February.
Announcing the decision on Twitter, Waller said: “After a really good discussion with the ownership group it has been decided that Verry Elleegant will have a five-week spell and resume pre-training to be prepared first up for the Winx Stakes.
“Whilst running her in the Arc would be a dream come true for all of us, we just felt that it would come around too soon to enable her to have a proper spell and be fully prepared in Australia for the assignment.
“However, a trip to Europe a little later in the spring is still strongly on the cards providing she returns to the form she showed in the spring when dominating the Melbourne Cup.”
Waller went on: “A race that we have identified as a prospective target is the 2,400m Fillies and Mares Group 1 race on Champions Day at Ascot, one of the most prestigious race days in the world and a worthy stage to showcase her talents.
“It is likely she will have three runs in Australia in the spring with the Winx Stakes, the Chelmsford, the Kingston Town and the Underwood all being considered prior to the decision being made on a Melbourne Cup defence or a trip to Europe.”
Either way, Waller will be in Britain in the summer, when he expects to be represented by star sprint pair Nature Strip and Home Affairs at Royal Ascot.
• Visit the Qipco British Champions Day website
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