Verry Elleegant officially retired

[Wandering Eyes]

Champion mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed) has been officially retired and will be served by a yet-to-be-confirmed northern hemisphere sire.

The announcement was made by her ownership group on Thursday afternoon, pulling the curtain down on a glittering career which saw her claim 11 Group Ones.

Her crowning moment came in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, where she ran the fifth fastest time in the race’s history and destroyed a high-class field with James McDonald on board.

Earlier this year, a majority of the ownership group decided to campaign Verry Elleegant in Europe after failing to fully fire during the autumn.

She left Chris Waller’s stable and joined Francis-Henri Graffard, but she couldn’t hit the heights of her Australian career, finishing down the track in a fillies and mares Group One on Sunday morning.

That race was always considered to be the final time punters saw her on a race track with owner Ozzie Kheir telling Racing.com on Sunday it was more than likely her last race.

That was confirmed on Thursday afternoon following a meeting with the ownership group.

“Rest assured though the Verry Elleegant story is far from over and we now look forward to the next chapter in her remarkable story, her life as a mum,” the ownership group said in a statement.

“The plan is to keep her in the pristine fields of France until she can be served by a leading European stallion in Northern Hemisphere time next year.”

Verry Elleegant finishes her career with the equal 12th most Group Ones in Australia and almost A$15m in prizemoney.

“Verry Elleegant’s lasting legacy won’t be measured by her prizemoney or Group One tally but more so by the joy and happiness she bought her legion of fans and her indomitable will to win that inspired us all,” the owners said.

“Along the journey there were so many individuals that played a massive role in her success, but we would like to particularly thank the Chris Waller and his entire team including track rider Chris Harwood and strapper Rocky Mangat, jockey James McDonald and Francis Graffard and his stable for all their efforts in her European campaign.”

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