A trip to France and a Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe tilt is off the cards for Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant with Chris Waller preferring to focus on another spring campaign with his stable star.
Waller’s stable have kept the door slightly open on a trip to Europe with Verry Elleegant but it seems unlikely that she will travel in a statement from the stable which confirmed there plans were to focus on the spring once again.
“Whilst running her in the Arc would be a dream come true for all of us, we just felt that it would come around too soon to enable her to have a proper spell and be fully prepared in Australia for this assignment,” the statement read.
“However a trip to Europe a little later in the Spring is still strongly on the cards providing she returns to the form she showed in the spring when dominating in the Melbourne Cup.”
Connections of Verry Elleegant had been hopeful of the mares chances of heading to France for the Arc however a poor Autumn campaign and failing to handle Sydney’s heavy tracks has caused concerns.
While the Arc is off the cards, the release pinpointed the Group One British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes (2400m) at Ascot on October 15 as the race Verry Elleegant would looking too if she was to travel.
Waller confirmed Verry Elleegant would have a five week spell before returning from the paddock to tackle the Winx Stakes in August.
“It is likely that she will have three runs in Australia in the spring with the Winx Stakes, the Chelmsford, the Kingston Town and the Underwood being considered prior to the decision being made on a Melbourne Cup defence or trip to Europe,” Waller said.