'Fitting' tribute after shock death of Melbourne Cup champ

27/02/2024 21:18

Verry Elleegant might be gone, but the champion horse will certainly not be forgotten.

The Australian Turf Club has immortalised the great mare by renaming the Chipping Norton Stakes to the Verry Elleegant Stakes.

Sydney's first Group 1 race of the year will now remember the Chris Waller-trained mare who won the 2021 Melbourne Cup and the 2020 Caulfield Cup.

Verry Elleegant also won the Chipping Norton in 2021 and 2022, adding her name to a long list of iconic race horses including Phar Lap and Winx to have won the now 99-year-old miler.

On Saturday, entrants will contest the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) at Randwick for the first time. The mare died last week due to complications giving birth, also losing her first foal.

"It's obviously tragic what happened, but this couldn't have come at a better time," retired jockey Corey Brown told Wide World of Sports at Tuesday's ATC autumn carnival launch.

"It's right on everyone's mind with Verry Elleegant, the race is in her honour obviously.

"I think it's so fitting how it's unfolded, to be the first Group 1 of the autumn, I think it's great."

And, fittingly, the favourite for Saturday's Verry Ellegant Stakes is Fangirl - trained by Waller and ridden by top jockey James McDonald, who steered Verry Elleegant to victory in the 2021 Melbourne Cup.

Waller has four horses nominated for the race but there's no doubt a Fangirl triumph would be the most emotional with McDonald on board.

Brown - a two-time Melbourne Cup winning hoop - is keen to see what Fangirl (24: 8-4-3) can produce in the $1 million feature.

"I was pretty impressed a couple of weeks ago with Fangirl," Brown said of the horse's Apollo Stakes victory.

"I've always been a fan of Fangirl, and now that Anamoe is out of the road I think it's her time to shine."

Brown, 47, was forced into retirement by injury, but has found a new home on camera as a special broadcast analyser on race days.

"Obviously I'm a little disappointed that I'm not riding," he said.

"It's been a little while now but still this time of year it gives you goosebumps when you see those good horses go out on the track."

Sydney's autumn carnival kicks off at Randwick this week and runs for a month.

It features the Golden Slipper on March 23 and then the Star Championships over consecutive weekends in April.