FROM THE ARCHIVE: Following the tragic news this week that 11-time G1 winner Verry Elleegant had died while foaling, we republish Kristen Manning’s account of the mare’s memorable Melbourne Cup victory in 2021
• Originally published November 2021
I admit to fearing that the atmosphere at the 2021 Melbourne Cup would not measure up to its usual standards. How could the roar of a 10,000 Covid-capped crowd possibly compare to that of the six figures that normally cram into Flemington on that first Tuesday in November?
Though it had to be better than last year, when only those directly involved with the runners were permitted to attend – when my family, determined not to break a three-decade run of Cup Week attendance, sat on a picnic rug in the park behind the track, stealing mere glimpses of horseflesh through binoculars.
‘She wore her heart on her sleeve every time’ – racing mourns Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant
But what I learned on Tuesday is that it is not numbers that create atmosphere, it is the racing itself. More specifically the horses themselves. And when a much-loved local star happens to win the Melbourne Cup ... well, those 10,000 can make a lot of happy noise!
It was almost as though the weather gods were on racing’s side on Tuesday - Melbourne’s warmest day since April. The track was bathed in sunlight, Flemington gleaming under the bright blue sky, hardly a wisp of wind in the air.
The cheery conditions certainly helped to elevate everyone’s mood, although after enduring the world's longest Covid lockdown periods, Melburnians were ready to party. There was a definite feeling of relief and optimism in the air, and where better to celebrate that than at Flemington?!
While a decent percentage of normal Cup Day crowds are not really racing people, this week it was more for the dedicated. For those who had missed their usual dose of Thoroughbred action in the many months since they were last permitted to attend.
And a few thousand or so racing fans can create an even better atmosphere than a larger one consisting of those there for other reasons, certainly a more genuine atmosphere with a love of the horse and the sport at the centre of it.
People queued for a spot at the mounting yard fence from after the running of the race prior to the Melbourne Cup and, when the space occupied by the pre-race entertainment (a choir belting out Tenterfield Saddler and Advance Australia Fair) was cleared, a wave of people moved in.
It was interesting to listen to the conversations of those around us. People who knew their form, who were craning their neck to get a look at horses they had only been seeing on their television screens in recent months ... such as the favourite Incentivise, who had never before raced in front of a Melbourne crowd.
Racing television coverage is excellent in this country, but at the end of the day there is just nothing like being there and the ability to see just how the horses are handling the pressure of raceday is something I know I have missed.
Oh, and their scent (just who doesn't love the smell of a horse?), their looks, their presence. Winston Churchill well and truly nailed it when he said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
How good it felt to see those horses on Tuesday, and I reckon they were enjoying it too. I had heard it theorised in recent times that the current crop of runners would stress out a little in front of a crowd, that they were used to a more peaceful raceday experience.
But really, Thoroughbreds (especially those of the high-class variety) are pretty much show-offs. Like all elite athletes, there is a level of ego that drives them, and the horses we saw on Tuesday looked to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Sun on their backs, appreciative fans ... happy horses.
While the heat did not play into the hands of a few of the imports and visitors (Great House and Sir Lucan in particular were noticeably sweaty), most of the field were in tip-top condition; as can be well expected in the race in which each horse is trained to the minute.
It was a thrill to see Incentivise for the first time. He is a tall fellow, leggy and scopey. At first he did not really stand out, but he is the sort of horse who lifts when the jockey hops aboard; relaxed in the lead-up, ready to go when it counts.
Galileo's son Delphi was well and truly on his toes, The Chosen One and Explosive Jack also keen to get going. Last year's winner, Twilight Payment, was chilled (‘been there, done that!’) while Spanish Mission was the most eyecatching of the Northern Hemisphere-bred brigade; neat and attractive – and hard fit.
Among them all, with nine G1 victories (just one fewer than the rest of the field combined) under her belt, was Verry Elleegant.
Cool, calm, collected Verry Elleegant. Living up to her name.
Her dark coat, so typical of the Eight Carat family from which she hails (and is line-bred to with her 4x4 cross of her own fourth dam, Cotehele House), was gleaming. Her fitness levels perfection. A trainer like Chris Waller does not get such moments wrong.
Out on the track, she was magnificent. So athletic, so ready. Ears pricked, she was just a picture of happy health.
One of the best moments on Melbourne Cup Day is when the barriers open. The 3200m start is up the straight in good view of the grandstands and the flat, and the crowd always show their appreciation with a roar that ripples across the course.
I thought it would be that which would suffer most for the heavily scaled back attendance but no. It was still a blast of exuberant noise, one that still sent chills down the spine. A moment that said: ‘Geez, it’s good to be back.’
It was an interesting race from the get-go, favourite Incentivise working across to an on-pace position, last year's fifth Persan setting up a nice pace in the lead, Verry Elleegant enjoying a lovely trail midfield.
The final stages of the Melbourne Cup can be very exciting, and there have been some close and stirring finishes in recent years. But this one, well it was over at the turn. Verry Elleegant was swinging, her rivals under the whip and under pressure as she cruised to the lead.
At the 300m she was off and away (see video below). Even when lengths in front of her rivals, she had her ears pinned back, she wanted it. Four lengths was the official margin – the easiest Melbourne Cup winner since Protectionist in 2014, noting that his win was the biggest since Rain Lover’s eight-length success back in 1968.
The fifth-fastest Melbourne Cup won by a mare carrying more weight than the other four, jumping from a trickier gate.
Not only is Verry Elleegant one of the easiest Melbourne Cup winners, but also one of the classiest; the most successful G1 horse to win the race since the introduction of the Pattern system.
The greats Makybe Diva and Might And Power won seven G1s each; Ethereal, Saintly, Jeune, Let’s Elope and Hyperno four apiece.
She joins Rain Lover and Makybe Diva as the only reigning Australian Horse Of The Year title holders to win the race since those honours were first bestowed in the 1968-69 season.
Six-year-old Verry Elleegant has won 15 of her 34 starts, over A$14.2 million in stakes. She has come a long way since her fast-finishing debut second at Te Rapa in New Zealand in July 2018; ten G1s from 1400m to 3200m. Handicaps, weight-for age tests - she has excelled at both.
Waller is widely liked and respected. Her jockey James McDonald (who had deposed Frankie Dettori as world #1 at the top of the TRCGlobal Rankings even before the Cup was run) is known for his affinity with his favourite mare, this success their tenth together.
And, because she has raced in New Zealand, Melbourne and Sydney, the fan base knows her well – her background, her achievements, her personality, her people, her story. Everything is well documented; she is part of the local racing family.
And so, with a Melbourne Cup Day that saw its usual celebrations limited, in a year so trying and difficult for so many, what we got was what we all needed – a breathtakingly memorable performance by a champion.
My verry, verry favourite Melbourne Cup. What a joy, what a privilege to have been there.
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