Verry Elleegant’s (NZ) (Zed) connections remain buoyant last spring’s Melbourne Cup champion can impact at the highest level in Europe despite her withdrawal from her expected French debut next Tuesday.
Co-owner Brae Sokolski said trainer Francis Graffard had stressed that he was pleased with how the mare was building but said he would not accept with Verry Elleegant in Tuesday’s Prix Rothschild (1600m) at Deauville after expressing some fitness concerns following her final piece of strong work on Friday.
“There’s certainly no cause for panic as he just felt she would have gone into that race underdone and he said he wouldn’t be doing her justice as she such a precious commodity,” Sokolski said.
“She still would have run well, but he said he’d rather wait and get her 100 percent and run her in the mile and a quarter race (Prix Jean Romanet) on August 21.
“He’s saying that he feels like her preparation is on song and there is no reason why she can’t get to that race cherry ripe. He’s still very buoyant about her.”
Graffard certainly knows what is takes to win the Group One mile race for fillies and mares, having won it in 2020 with Watch Me. He also saddles one of the favourites in this year’s race in the form of Malavath, who a Breeders Cup runner-up as a juvenile.
If Verry Elleegant performs up to expectations in the Jean Romanet at Deauville, she will progress to the Group 1 Prix Vermeille (2400m) for fillies and mares at Longchamp on September 11 over the same course as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 2.