Written by Paul Vettise
Trainer Chris Waller opted to gallop Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) over 1000 metres at Rosehill on Friday morning in preference to a trial at Randwick.
Waller declared his multiple Group 1 winner in fine fettle and was delighted with her resuming run for second in the G1 Winx S.
“She’s ready to go and will run in the George Main S. Her first-up run was brilliant and she hasn’t missed a beat since and I didn’t think she needed a hard trial,” he said in a stable video.
“It was a pretty competitive lineup with Classique Legend and others in there so she had a nice maintenance gallop here.’’
Following the G1 George Main S., Verry Elleegant is likely to defend her G1 Turnbull S. title at Flemington on her way to another tilt at the G1 Cox Plate, having finished unplaced in the 2019 edition.
Top sprinters step out
Meanwhile, major sprint contenders Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and Eduardo (Host {Chi}) were all put through their paces at the Randwick trials.
Classique Legend triumphed in last year’s The TAB Everest and won his 1000-metre heat on the course proper in his first trial since returning from Hong Kong.
Following The Everest, the Bon Ho-owned grey joined Caspar Fownes’ stable but suffered a bleeding attack in trackwork after an unplaced performance in the G1 Hong Kong Sprint and rejoined Les Bridge’s stable.
Classique Legend was ridden by Kerrin McEvoy in his trial and sat in second spot to the turn before coming on well to have a short head on Lost And Running, who made the play wide out on the track, and was under a good hold from Hugh Bowman at the post.
Successful in the G2 Ajax S. in the spring and gelded since last racing, I Am Superman (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) was third and clear of the fourth-placed Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel), winner of the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. as a 2-year-old.
Eduardo
Both Classique Legend and last-start Listed Luskin Star S. winner Lost And Running are expected to clash again in next weekend’s G2 The Shorts.
Trainer Joseph Pride is also keen for Eduardo to nail down a slot in The Everest and he went around in an open heat over 740 metres. He strode to the front and ran home under his own steam for jockey Nash Rawiller to account for Mamaragan (Wandjina).
