Verry Elleegant is pleasing her trainer Francis-Henri Graffard as she builds towards her European debut.
Graffard has pencilled in the Group 1 Prix Rothscild (1600m) at Deauville at the start of August, provided the former Chris Waller-trained mare continues to please her new French trainer.
Everything had gone according to plan since Verry Elleegant’s arrival at Graffard’s Chantilly stable, but the trainer pointed out the 2021 Melbourne Cup winner was in the early stages of her preparation and had not been fully tested to date.
“She’s a strong filly. She’s feeling good in her body, a very sound filly,” Graffard told RSN.
“The mechanics are very good, her action is very good. She’s a lovely mover. She’s gives a lot of power, you can see she’s a very good filly.
“I have good horses in my yard, and I will put her with them and see where we stand.
“I had to clip her. It’s summertime here and she looks so much better now she’s clipped because she was sweating a little bit too much with her winter coat.”
Graffard said the Prix Rothschild was a suitable race to start Verry Elleegant in, and he said he had also pencilled in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet (2000m), also at Deauville, later in August.
He said he was building Verry Elleegant up slowly while also learning more about her.
“The pace in France is not very strong, usually it’s quite a tactical pace, so this race, the Rothschild, could be a good starting point for her,” Graffard said.
“Hopefully she will be 95 per cent ready for that, but obviously it’s her first run in Europe and after that she can have a Group 1 over 10 furlongs in Deauville three weeks later.
“She looks very good, she’s been very good on the track, and everything is going according to plan.
“I couldn’t be happier with her at this stage.”
