Chief Stipe Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 Tonight's the night: Verry Elleegant to make European debut www.racenet.com.au Verry Elleegant will make her eagerly awaited European debut in Sunday night's (Australian time) Group 1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet (200m) at Deauville, France. TAB Fixed Odds have the reigning Melbourne Cup winner a $3 favourite for her first assignment for new trainer Francis Graffard. The 11-time group 1 winner is the only group 1 victor in the eight horse field where she will be piloted by master hoop Frankie Dettori. Hear from Francis Henri Graffard ahead of Verry Elleegant's European debut tonight! pic.twitter.com/PzdTW0PLIA — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 21, 2022 The 2000 metre feature is slated to be run at 11.50pm AESTD. In the countdown to Sunday night's assignment, trainer Francis Graffard told the Racing Post that he is now much happier with the seven-year-old's progress after she was originally scheduled to race in the Prix Rothschild over a mile on August 2. "She‘s really picked up in the last three weeks and I couldn't be happier," Graffard said. "I can‘t wait to go to the races with her and with the wide draw and it being her first time in Europe, we'll probably see her finishing nicely." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLB2.0 Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 Well... that was terrible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 Didn't look that bad to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted August 21, 2022 Share Posted August 21, 2022 Looks a bit like she might need another mile now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 22, 2022 Author Share Posted August 22, 2022 1 hour ago, curious said: Looks a bit like she might need another mile now. Typical European training though isn't it? First up over 2000m after a break. Not a Waller approach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freda Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 I think Curious meant she might need further, Chief. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomates Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 31 minutes ago, Freda said: I think Curious meant she might need further, Chief. I personally think she is a season if not 2 too late with this trip , i hope i'm wrong , didn't think the run was the worst , just didn't have a sprint but then she has travelled half way around the world so i would think they would leaving her with a lot of improvement , next race will tell more . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 22, 2022 Author Share Posted August 22, 2022 34 minutes ago, Freda said: I think Curious meant she might need further, Chief. Perhaps that's a given but she has never been trained like this before. Even the next season after her Melbourne Cup win she won the Chipping Norton over 1600m. I don't think she is up to winning the Arc. Seems to me all their eggs are in one basket. That's the problem when owners dictate the racing plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said: That's the problem when owners dictate the racing plans. I thought that's what owners were supposed to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 Trainer Francis Henri-Graffard admitted the former Chris Waller star was “very rusty” in her first European test. “She was very rusty at the start of the race and you can’t make up ground on that track at the moment,” Graffard told the Racing Post. “She ran on at the end and she had a good blow after the race. I think she needed the race.” Graffard added to The Age: “The track here is tough today, you had to be a frontrunner on this track. No horses were making a run. “Frankie said she was a bit rusty in the early parts of the race, but she ran on really well and, for me as a training point of view, I think she did a very good comeback, considering the track and her position in the race. “I was not expecting her to be so off the pace in the early parts of the race. But as Frankie said she was a little bit rusty. She seems ok, we will see how she recovers but there are positives to be taken I think.” Despite the defeat, Verry Elleegant will continue to be aimed at the l’Arc (2400m) at Longchamp on October 3 and is expected to next run in the Prix Vermeille (2040m) at that same track on September 11. https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/08/22/verry-elleegant-pressing-on-towards-larc-after-failing-in-french-debut/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holy ravioli Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 Scratch her from the Arc on that effort.Even though it looked like a canter and sprint,she found ...nothing.Too old for this caper against quality Euro runners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 22, 2022 Author Share Posted August 22, 2022 1 hour ago, curious said: I thought that's what owners were supposed to do? Bart Cummings would have charged you more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curious Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 Bart would have charged me for doing the feed and work programme too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Stipe Posted August 22, 2022 Author Share Posted August 22, 2022 3 minutes ago, curious said: Bart would have charged me for doing the feed and work programme too. More likely tell you to come to the front gate and hand you a lead and halter with your horse attached. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holy ravioli Posted August 22, 2022 Share Posted August 22, 2022 Very dry wit Bart...my fav-health inspector-'you have too many flies around the stable Mr Cummings'.....Bart....'how many are you...allowed'?😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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