Verry Elleegant Adds to Rosehill Record in Tancred

The final Saturday of March at Rosehill seems to be a day on the calendar enjoyed by Verry Elleegant and her connections as she returned March 28 to the same meeting of her maiden group 1 victory 12 months ago to take out the Kia Tancred Stakes (G1) at Rosehill. 

Winner of last year's Vinery Stud Stakes (G1), the Chris Waller-trained mare was on the back-up after a fighting second to Addeyyb in the Ranvet Stakes (G1) seven days earlier. 

The quick turnaround proved to be no issue for the lightly-framed dual group 1 winner as she circled the field around the home turn and hit the front with 300 meters to go, racing away to win by a dominant margin of 4 1/4 lengths.

The Kris Lees-trained imported gelding Mustajeer was second with last year's Tancred winner Avilius a nose back in third. 

Early in her career, Verry Elleegant was known to overace but her new-found maturity as a 4-year-old has seen her reach her full potential.

"It might look easy but it has been a big effort for the whole stable to get a horse like her to settle as well as she is doing. She is quite a highly-revved horse," Waller said.

"Full credit to (jockey) James (McDonald). She is obviously a great horse. We haven't had her over this distance very often but each time we have she has just been dominant. It is a very special win.

"She is only 4 and racing against the older horses basically. She is just a genuine athlete at a staying trip."

Looking ahead, Waller said a tilt at the Caulfield Cup (G1) was well and truly on the cards for the mare and potentially even the Melbourne Cup (G1).

"The Caulfield Cup would be high on our radar and even a Melbourne Cup," he said.

"Let's hope we get weighted as well as some of the other horses from around the world and they keep giving the Australian horses a chance.

"She'll be there and she'll be one of them."

James McDonald has formed a strong partnership with Verry Elleegant and credited her adaptability for yesterday's win after his original tactics failed to come to fruition.

"She was a star today," he said.

"Obviously I thought I would probably be outside the lead but she felt better coming from off the speed to be honest.

"But that's how adaptable she is and how she has grown as a mare. Hopefully we are only going to reap the rewards now and what she has already done is just a bonus.

"What I felt today was just extraordinary."

As for whether Verry Elleegant will press on for the rest of the autumn, Waller said she could head to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1), where she would face a rematch with Addeybb, but given the uncertainty around the future of the racing industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that looks unlikely.

"If today's race wasn't among the circumstances we were in, I probably would have gone to the Queen Elizabeth," he said.

"I think everybody here has been so responsible, as have the stable staff that are doing a fantastic job.

"We're all worried about our safety and health as well as the rest of Australia, but we are showing we can put on a responsible show and keep everyone interested at home."

Verry Elleegant, by Zed and out of Opulence, by Danroad, has won eight races from 19 starts with five placings for prize-money of AU$2,749,718 (US$1,839,156).

She is one of three winners out of Opulence, herself a winner of two races, including her six-time winning brother Verry Flash. Verry Elleegant's second dam is Mulan Magic, who is a half sister to the stakes-placed Monards and Starnui, the dam of Cranbourne Cup winner Starmon.

Zed is the sire of 12 stakes winners including last year's Awapuni Gold Cup (G2) winner Jacksstar and New Zealand's Challenge Stakes (G1) winner Survived. 

Another Group 1 for Waterhouse and Bott in Vinery

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott continued their golden autumn as Shout The Bar caused an upset to take out Saturday's Vinery Stud Stakes (G1) at Rosehill, marking jockey Adam Hyeronimus' maiden group 1.

The build up to this year's running of the 3-year-old fillies feature was all about the fifth edition of Funstar versus Probabeel, but Shout The Bar had other ideas as she lead the trip and held off a late charge from star New Zealand filly Probabeel to win by a neck.

Nudge was third with Funstar coming home a nose back in fourth.

Bott was on course to represent Tulloch Lodge and was full of praise for Hyeronimus who has partnered Shout The Bar in all four of her race starts.

"(Hyeronimus) puts in a lot of hard yards and he's done a fantastic job on this filly all the way through, particularly today," the co-trainer said.

"He kept his cool and got the right run while everyone was sorting out their positions behind him."

The New South Wales-based jockey narrowly missed out on landing his maiden elite-level victory last week when finishing second aboard Prince Fawaz in the Rosehill Guineas (G1).

"It's very rewarding, especially to ride it for Gai," Hyeronimus said.

"Growing up as a kid I used to watch the races on Saturday and Gai used to just dominate the 2-year-old races.

"That's what I grew up with and to end up being her apprentice and finish my apprenticeship there, and to continue riding on for her and get my first group 1 winner is just a huge thrill."

Hyeronimus also admitted he was never confident the pair were going to win during the run.

"Not once at any stage did I think, 'she's going to win.' She's probably not actually a leader, she probably led by default," he said.

"Through the middle stages I was quite worried I was going too slow and that's why I picked the tempo up at the half-mile.

"I didn't want it to turn into a sit and sprint. I know she's tough and I know she can run a strong 2,000. I said that all along, since her second trial I said, 'Adrian, this is our Oaks horse,' and she hasn't let us down yet."

Shout The Bar's Vinery win was the third group 1 in as many weeks for the Waterhouse and Bott stable after Farnan's victory in the Golden Slipper Stakes (G1) and Con Te Partiro taking out the Coolmore Classic (G1).

"It has been fantastic," Bott said. "I am so happy for everyone involved, the team behind us and the owners that have given us so much support."

Purchased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing for $200,000 ($157,820) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale out of the Newhaven Park draft, Shout The Bar, by Not A Single Doubt and out of Drinks All Round, by O'Reilly, has now had four starts for three wins and a second, earning AU$378,825 ($236,153) in prize money.

She is the first foal to race out of three-time winner Drinks All Round who herself is a three-quarter sister to multiple stakes runner-up Master Hunter. Drinks All Round is out of Tattinger, who is a half sister to three-time group 2 winner Satinka as well as She Wishes, dam of dual group 1 winner Rangirangdoo.

It was a timely victory for Segenhoe Stud who will offer Shout The Bar's sister at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She is cataloged as Lot 416.

Drinks All Round also has a 2-year-old unraced sister to Shout The Bar named She's A Survivor, who is to be trained by Craig Widdison in Wodonga. She was again covered by Not A Single Doubt last spring.

Shout The Bar becomes the 70th individual stakes winner and 13th individual group 1 winner for Arrowfield Stud's recently pensioned sire Not A Single Doubt.