Meblourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant amongst a strong field of entries in the Fillies & Mares Stakes

Verry Elleegant could sprinkle some global stardust on QIPCO British Champions Day with the 2021 Melbourne Cup winner being strongly considered for the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes.

After capturing 11 Group 1 races down under, Australia’s Horse of the Year in 2020/21 has been transferred to the stable of Francis Graffard in France to be tested against some of Europe’s best horses.

Among her possible opponents could be the Cazoo Oaks one-two Tuesday and Emily Upjohn and also Magical Lagoon, winner of the Juddmonte Irish Oaks, plus the filly she beat at the Curragh, Toy. 

Joining Verry Elleegant among the older contingent are Alpinista, the Sir Mark Prescott-trained winner of four consecutive Group 1 races, last year’s race winner Eshaada, and La Petite Coco, who gave trainer Paddy Twomey his first top level success in the Pretty Polly Stakes in June. They are among 56 entries for the 1m4f Group 1, a new record number of first-stage entries for the race.

Having arrived in Europe in May, Verry Elleegant has yet to have her first start, with her trainer pushing back her debut to later this month when she is due to contest the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville on 21st August.

“Verry Elleegant is a very well known filly down under but I need to see her running in Europe against European horses,” said Graffard.

“She travelled very well and she’s been amazing at home – very professional. She loves attention and is a smart mare who knows her job very well. I was expecting her to be more keen but so far she’s been very relaxed and everything has been very straightforward with her. 

“It’s a lot of pressure but I’ll try my best and we’ll see. It will be very good for racing internationally if she can perform in Europe.”

Graffard, who has also entered Group 2 winner Sweet Lady and Baiykara, a Group 3 winner, added: “The Fillies & Mares at Ascot is a race I really like, and I was second in it with Bateel in 2017. The race is a definite possibilily for Verry Elleegant. It would suit her as she’s a staying filly and wouldn’t mind if it was soft ground.”

Tuesday defeated Emily Upjohn by a short head at Epsom, where the runner-up was considered an unlucky loser, but then finished well adrift of Westover after being supplemented for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby.

O’Brien searching for a third win in the race

O’Brien suggested that race did not unfold to plan, saying: “The Irish Derby ended up being a race of two halves.” 

O’Brien, who has entered eight in the race, added: “Tuesday was fine afterwards. We are thinking she will go to York for the Yorkshire Oaks next. She will be our main one in the Fillies & Mares, as well as Toy, who was second in the Irish Oaks.”

On her only start since the Oaks Emily Upjohn took on colts and older horses for the first time in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes but finished last of six, having pulled hard early in the race. 

She could be joined by Free Wind who beat subsequent Lillie Langtry Stakes winner Sea La Rosa and Eshaada, when landing the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks.

We want to win a Group 1 with Emily Upjohn

Thady Gosden said: “We want to win a Group 1 with Emily Upjohn who has improved all year and was obviously unlucky in the Oaks. It was unfortunate that she over-raced through the early stages of the King George and didn’t get home, but she came straight back to herself. There’s the Yorkshire Oaks and good races in France before Champions Day, but the Fillies & Mares is definitely an option.

“Free Wind did well to win the Lancashire Oaks, where you might say that she met a bit of trouble in running, and she showed there that she had the speed to drop back to a mile and a half, so Champions Day is definitely an option for her.”

Eshaada, who could meet last year’s runner-up Albaflora in the 1m4f race, was caught up in the Lancashire Oaks melee, in which she eventually finished third.

Trainer Roger Varian said: “The race is one of her primary goals. We didn’t contemplate running in the Lillie Langtry. We know she is at her very best on soft ground and has very good course and distance form, finishing second in the Ribblesdale and winning the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares last year. 

“It is likely she will have a run before somewhere in something like the Prix Royallieu or Prix Vermeille, but the race at Ascot would have to be her big autumn objective.”

Seven entries from the William Haggas stable include his Qatar Nassau Stakes third Lilac Road and Saturday’s Lillie Langtry Stakes winner Sea La Rosa.