New Zealand trainer Nick Bishara will miss what could be could be his biggest moment in racing.
He is a co-owner of a three-year-old filly he used to train who is among the leading chances for Thursday’s Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.
Verry Elleegant is now in Victoria with Darren Weir after a group of his stable clients bought a majority share in the filly.
Very Elleegant won the Ethereal Stakes before her fifth as favourite in the Wakeful Stakes on Saturday, the traditional Oaks lead-up.
Bishara hopes the rain hit Flemington Tuesday sticks around for the Oaks.
“I think she will appreciate a little cut in the ground,” Bishara told NZ Racing Desk.
“It was fairly firm at Flemington on Saturday according to all reports and she did feel it a fraction.
“I see Darren Weir has put a shadow roll on her to help keep her head down and hopefully the run on Saturday would have taken the edge off her.”
With commitments at home, Bishara is unable to make it to Flemington, but he said she would still have plenty of Kiwi supporters on hand.
“I had planned to go, but I’ve got one in the last at Avondale (on Wednesday), so being a mid-week race most of the girls who help me around the stable have got nine-to-five jobs. So I’m it – I’m the strapper, trainer and truck driver.”
Bishara said the filly has a lot of developing to do and he believed she would be an even more exciting prospect in the autumn.
