FULL BROTHER TO STAR RUNNER SET TO DEBUT

Verry Elleegants brother set to debut

Affluential, trained by Adam Durrant may be three years younger than Verry Elleegant but is finally set to make his debut as a four year old this week after being accepted for a 1700m contest at Belmont on Wednesday.

Affluential is a full brother to Verry Elleegant and has had two trials this preparation having most recently completed a 1450m hit out under the ride of jockey Clint Johnston-Porter.

Currently the four year old sits as first emergency for the midweek Belmont contest but Johnston-Porter is booked to ride should he get the start. Affluential will wear the white and cerise silks of the Peters stable.

Trainer Durrant said Peters had taken a very measured approach with Affluential. 

"He's just an immature staying type. He's going through the education process still now even though he's a four-year-old," Durrant said. 

"Bob's (Peters) left him until now to put any real pressure on him. He's just a very immature New Zealand-type."

With Verry Elleegant, her talent was on show for connections early on winning a number of Group Ones on the way to winning the Melbourne Cup as a 7 year old. 

However it seems as though the males from Zed are taking a while to mature with Verry Elleegant’s older brother Verry Flash only recently breaking through as a 7 year old in New Zealand and Peters already relaising Affluential will be a long term project.

"Bob basically looks at him like a three-year-old still and he'll treat him accordingly," he said.

"He'll probably only have one or two runs and then put him away for the spring and look to next year, I'm guessing will be the game plan with him."

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