Champion trainer Chris Waller has landed his first Melbourne Cup with Verry Elleegant who became the first mare since Makybe Diva to win Australia’s great race.
Last season’s Australian Horse of the Year spreadeagled her 22 rivals to claim a four-length win in Australia’s great race.
The crowd of 10,000 at Flemington to mark the end of COVID lockdown in Victoria applauded the 23 runners when they left barriers and were equally as loud as Verry Elleegant crossed the line.
Under a superb ride from Australia’s leading jockey James Mcdonald, Verry Elleegant ($18) defeated the $2.90 favourite Incentivise with European raider Spanish Mission ($10) a long-neck away third.
Waller delayed his decision on whether to start Verry Elleegant until moments before the 4.30pm acceptance cut-off on Saturday, looking for any excuse to take the mare from the field.
But everything was in order and Verry Elleegant was expertly produced to claim the tenth Group 1 win of her career on Tuesday.
While COVID restrictions have been eased, Waller remained in Sydney, and it was left to long-time stable employee Jo Taylor who runs the stable in Melbourne, to welcome the mare back to scale.
“We had a very brief conversation, albeit a very emotional one before she (Verry Elleegant) came back,” Taylor said.
“I really wish Chris could’ve been here today, he certainly deserves this one.
“She had a tough task ahead of her today and the 57 (kilos) is certainly a lot to carry and then combine that with the barrier, she certainly had a mountain to climb.
“But she got in a really good position, and we were turning for home you wanted to start getting excited, but you don’t want to go the early crow either.”
McDonald and Waller have been a dominant force in Sydney racing and the jockey was overcome with emotion as Verry Elleegant the line.
He has ridden Verry Elleegant in eight of her Group 1 victories and was stopped from travelling to Melbourne last year to partner her in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup because of COVID.
“I just didn’t think this day would ever happen,” McDonald said.
“I ride in these races, I really want to win but sometimes you can overthink it and try too hard.
“I was very confident in the mare today.
“Those thoughts went through my mind at the 500 metres when I saw Incentivise getting shoved along but I knew he would fight.
“There wasn’t a horse that was going to come from behind me, it was just a matter of catching him.”
Incentivise was sent out the shortest favourite since So You Think finished third in the 2010 Cup as the $3 top elect.
Jockey Brett Prebble was full of praise for the Caulfield Cup winner who was aiming to become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the double.
“It was a courageous effort,” Prebble said.
“It was his first time to this trip and it took a champion to beat him.”
Craig Williams partnered the Andrew Balding-trained European raider Spanish Mission and was impressed with his gallant performance for third place.
“It was a great job by Andrew Balding and his team for the planning and what a gallant warrior to go to battle with,” Williams said.
“Thanks for the opportunity.”