Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant dies
Verry Elleegant (Zed), one of the great mares in the history of Australian racing, has died while giving birth to her first foal.
The 11-time Group 1 winner, whose crowning glory came in the 2021 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m), died in Ireland while delivering the foal she conceived after being covered by Sea The Stars (Cape Cross).
The news was broken by Chris Waller, who trained the daughter of Zed (Zabeel) to her biggest wins, which included Group 1 victories from 1400 metres to 3200 metres, and also the Australian Champion Racehorse title in the 2020/21 season.
“It is incredibly sad that we pass on the news on behalf of the ownership group that Verry Elleegant has passed away due to complications giving birth to her foal,” Waller said.
“The news is just filtering through to stable staff now, and other close connections, who are coming to terms with this tragic news.
“She was in fantastic hands on a farm who did all they could for her and we would like to thank them for their efforts which we will be forever grateful for.
“We all saw the courage she had on the racetrack over many seasons and she will never be forgotten by those close to her, as well as the wider racing public who followed her career and loved her so much.”
The foal also died during the birthing process.
Verry Elleegant remained in Europe after a four-start campaign for trainer Francis Graffard in the second half of 2022, the curtain coming down on a racing career that generated $14,885,505 in prize-money earnings after finishing a disappointing ninth in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes (Gr 1, 1m 4f) at Ascot.
That was her 42nd start in a career that started in her native New Zealand, winning two of her three starts for Nicholas Bishara, from where she was purchased and placed with Darren Weir in the spring of 2018.
Reacting to the news, Bishara said: “I am truly in shock. We were all looking forward to seeing her leave horses like herself and have a well-deserved retirement in the best of hands.
“She was a life-changing horse for a lot of us. I just feel for all the connections and everybody who had anything to do with her.
“We are fortunate enough to have her half-sister at home and we have got a three-quarter sister to her at Chris Waller’s, who is two.
“We have got a little bit of the legacy to go on and we would love them to put their hand up and do her proud, but it is really upsetting.”
After Weir’s disqualification, Verry Elleegant moved to Waller, who prepared her to win the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and ATC Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) in the second half of her three-year-old season.
She won a Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m) at the highest level as a four-year-old before taking all before her at five.
After a first-up win in the Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Verry Elleegant went on to win the Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) before returning in the autumn of 2021 to win the Chipping Norton Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
Verry Elleegant won the George Main Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) en route to her Melbourne Cup success, while the final elite-level win of her career came in the 2022 Chipping Norton Stakes.
James McDonald, who partnered her to nine of those Group 1 triumphs, told SEN: “It was unbelievable to receive the news, it just doesn’t feel real. I don’t really get too emotional, but it brought a little tear to my eye.
“I had a pretty big soft spot [for her]. She arguably gave me my greatest day on a track in my life. She was such a great horse and she wore her heart on her sleeve every time. She was a special one.”
By Grangewilliam Stud stallion Zed, Verry Elleegant was bred by Don Goodwin out of his Danroad (Danehill) mare Opulence, who he purchased as a broodmare prospect for $14,000 off Bishara at Karaka.
The Australian Turf Club announced earlier this year that the Chipping Norton Stakes, the only Group 1 race she won multiple times, has been renamed the Verry Elleegant Stakes with the inaugural running under that moniker to be staged at Randwick on March 2.