The pandemic kept the visitors away last Gr 1 Melbourne Cup, meaning a local won.
And, Australasian locals are versatile. Way more so than their European counterparts.
As such, the Cup winner, wonder mare VERRY ELLEEGANT (Zed – Opulence), is among the 77 nominations for the world’s richest mile race, the All-Star Mile at Flemington.
Those nominations were announced today and 22 of them are Gr 1 winners.
And the fact she has come back into work already, well in time for the March’s All-Star Mile, suggests she may well target the big race worth $5 million.
The WFA conditions make it an ideal race for her and she is a Gr 1 winner at 1600m.
Thus far Verry Elleegant has won $14,290,000 in prize money.
The first 10 entries in the field of 14 will be via popular vote. One assumes she will be among those along with early favourites Zaki and I’m Thunderstruck, who are both at $4.80.
Currently the great mare is a $14 chance.