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| Staff Writer |
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Brae Sokolski and the majority of Verry Elleegant’s ownership group have confirmed their decision to send the champion mare to Europe to continue her career under the training of Francis-Henri Graffard. She would be very likely pointed at the Arc and other similarly prestigious races as part of her European campaign.
Sokolski said that a European campaign had been seriously entertained following last year’s Autumn Carnival, due to concerns about the amount of weight that the 2020 Caulfield Cup heroine would be allocated in the Melbourne Cup.
Sokolski and his fellow owners believe that their eleven-time Group One winner will make her presence felt in Europe’s weight for age staying races in the second half of the year, rather than staying in Australia to compete in the Cups, which she is likely to have been weighted out of.
“It’s one of those quirks that perhaps had it not been for Covid, she would have already been in Europe,” Sokolski said.
“This year, it became an even more compelling argument by virtue of A, international travel being opened up, and B, obviously having won the Melbourne Cup, then her facing an even greater and arguably impossible task to defend her crown.
“It’s foreign territory, both figuratively and literally, and when you’re dealing with a horse that we love so much and everyone in the industry has such affection for, these decisions come with a huge amount of gravity, that’s why we toed and froed.
“Now that we’ve made the decision, we are all at peace with it and genuinely excited about what lies ahead for her.”
Sokolski refuted suggestions that the decision to send Verry Elleegant to Europe was commercially motivated, pointing out the high levels of prizemoney in Australia that she could have competed for, the travel costs involved in getting the mare to France, as well as the AS$180,000 late entry fee that connections would be forced to pay to supplement her for this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Hall of Fame trainer, Chris Waller confirmed that Verry Elleegant would be transferred to French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard for her Northern Hemisphere campaign, which could take in races in France and England over September, October and November.
“The Ellee syndicate was never in favour of going to Europe, basically on the back of what Chris (Waller) felt - that she’s probably got one more prep in her and to go half way around the world might be a risk if she doesn’t come up.
The breeder and original owners of Verry Elleegant are to sell their 20 percent share in the champion mare following confirmation she is to be transferred to France to be prepared for a European campaign.
We’re not happy and we will be looking to sell out of the mare unfortunately,” co-owner Nick Bishara said on Friday morning.
Bishara said the 20 percent of the mare owned by the Ellee syndicate would be offered first to the current owners of Verry Elleegant.