It is either going to be a huge Group 1 weekend for owner Brae Sokolski or he is possibly going to go into it a little bit deflated if Verry Elleegant is ultimately balloted out of the prestigious Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.
Sokolski has the Chris Waller trained Hinged lining up in the Group 1 Epsom at Randwick on Saturday. Hinged is already a Group 1 winner having taken out the Surround Stakes on February 22 this year … the same day Verry Elleegant won the Chipping Norton for the second time running … and Hinged will come into Saturday’s race with every chance after her strong third place showing behind Anamoe in the George Main Stakes two weeks ago.
No problem there, but Sokolski’s chance of landing a two-country, international Group 1 double rests with what happens to Verry Elleegant in the next couple of days.
The Melbourne Cup winner has already not experienced the smoothest of passages since embarking on her first European campaign, but she showed just enough in her second start in France for her connections to want to push on to the Arc.
Sokolski and his co-owners had been marking time, waiting to decide whether to pay the late entrance fee for the Arc (which is due on Wednesday), or not … but even that payment now appears to not be able to guarantee the eleven-time Group 1 winner a start in the big race.
When the connections of the undefeated Baaeed chose Ascot over Longchamp as the venue for Baaeed’s farewell performance, that removed one big obstacle from Verry Elleegant’s path to international glory … but, away from her possible opposition, it is the race balloting system itself that could stop Verry Elleegant in her tracks before she even gets to face the starter in one of Europe’s biggest races.
The downside of her last two race results is that Verry Elleegant’s overall rating has dropped to the point where she runs the risk of being balloted out of the final field as she currently does not hold a place in the final lineup in the official Arc Order Of Entry, being a couple of places shy of a confirmed run.
So, just five day’s out from the Arc race-day, it is still very much a case of wait and see for the connections of Verry Elleegant, a position they have been in for some time now … but now there is the added pressure of a timeframe that is in full countdown mode.
Hinged we know will go out there and do her best.
All Australian fans hope Verry Elleegant is allowed the opportunity to do the same.
