THE PETLEY REPORT: THE AMAZING STORY OF ZED, THE SIRE OF THE CAULFIELD CUP WINNER, VERRY ELLEEGANT

By Jack Petley | Tuesday, October 20, 2020

That's good news for the hundreds of Verry Elleegant fans for the Melbourne Cup. The brilliant Caulfield Cup winner for Chris Waller and her group of owners has been given only 0.5kgs for the Cup and so it is full steam ahead with 55.5kgs. The mare remains firm at $11 in the betting on the same line as Anthony Van Dyke with Tiger Moth favourite.

And what about the story regarding Verry Elleegant’s sire Zeb, sold for $400,000 as a yearling with Verry Elleegant's breeder Don Goodwin amongst the owners. Murray Baker had the young horse, but he did not race at two after being injured in a float accident. On his return he won a maiden easily. He was then made favourite for the Derby, but broke down, raced a couple of times after and then retired to stud.

Zed, a son of Zabeel, kicked of his stud career at Little Avondale at $500 plus GST and attracted 131 mares, but then his flower faded. Such was his fate that he was banished to Erewhon Stud in the South Island where he served ponies, hacks and clydesdales. Meantime his second crop produced some smart gallopers including Survived, Usanity and Ambitious Champion. So back to the north to that wonderfully appointed Cocoran family stud, Grangewilliam. He received 168 mares in his first book there in 2013, but, then again, he went through a slow spot. 'He has done it the hard way," said Mark Corcoran. "He has hardly ever had a Book 1 mare. This year he will cover some 60 mares at $6000."

Zed has 16 Stakes performers to his credit including that ace jumper Zem Em. I note that Verry Elleegant is the third Caulfield Cup winner off the Grangewilliam property, on the heels of Doriemus and Silver Bounty. "It's a bloody good property with good pasture and it breeds bloody good hard horses," said Corcoran to the NZ Racing News ... AND I agree!

Andrew Forsman said yesterday that The Chosen One has come through his fine third in the Caulfield Cup in fine condition. "It was a massive buzz to see him do that in such a quality field," said Forsman who trains the Savabeel entire with Murray Baker. The Chosen One, said Forsman will go towards the Melbourne Cup and he sits at 24th at present. Forsman said he felt the Flemington track will suit the stayer. "He will be better on that big, roomy track," he said. "It was good to see him get every chance on the weekend," said Forsman, just the type of race you need to see heading to a Melbourne Cup."

Tiger Moth is currently favourite for the Cup at $6 then $8 Surprise Baby, $9 Russian Camelot, $11 Anthony Van Dyke, Verry Eleegant, Prince of Arran (who also ran a sound Cup trial when fourth at Caulfield), $18 Finche and upwards others.

From the Aidan O'Brien camp comes the news that Santiago is out of the Cup and heading for a let-up while stable-mate Wichita has a leg fracture and is recovering from surgery.

Tomorrow will see several likely Cup candidates go around in the Geelong Cup and that includes the Andreas Wohler trained Ashrun (Craig Williams), the Gr2 winner in France San Huberto for Matt Cumani with Damien Oliver engaged and the former Kiwi Platinum Invader now with Peter Moody and with Luke Nolan to ride. Also in the field, Steel Prince, Entente and Sound for the Moroney camp., San Hurberto sits just outside the 24 for the Cup and a win would make certain of a Cup run.

Meantime, Russian Camelot keeps favouritism for the WS Cox Plate this weekend at $3.50, ahead of $4.50 Arcadia Queen, $6 Armory, $9 Sir Dragonet, $11 Aspetar, Probabeel, $16 Kolding, $17 Humidor.

Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith has his star galloper Fierce Impact heading to Melbourne for the Cox Plate and the son of Deep Impact will be his first runner in the big weight for age event with Luke Currie to take the mount.

That was a game run for third by Gytrash in the $15m Everest and he is likely to be kept in Sydney and tackle the Yes Yes Yes Stakes at Rosehill at the end of the month with bonuses in that race for horses who ran in the Everest. From all reports the WA star has come through the Everest in fine order and already connections are eyeing off the 2021 Everest.

Alligator Blood is Queensland's Racehorse of the year giving trainer David Vandyke his second award having won it also with the fine mare Yankee Rose. Alligator Blood is in Sydney and being readied for the $7.5m Golden Eagle after his solid second in the Silver Eagle.

Disgraced trainer Darren Weir will stand trial over animal cruelty, conspiracy and weapons charges. This, after the Magistrate denied admissions from the lawyers of Weir. They wished to have the charges dismissed. Weir, Jarrod McLean and Tyson Kermond, entered not guilty pleas but the Magistrate said that some 30 charges are to be heard before a jury.

That was a big win by the NZ Bloodstock Ready to Run graduate Golden Sixty at Sha Tin on the weekend and he now heads towards the rich HK Mile at Sha Tin at the end of the year. The gelding has now won 12 of his 13 starts for trainer Francis Lui and he certainly is proving a bargain. The star was pin hooked as a yearling for $120,000 by Riversley Park principal Sam Beatson and his fiend Ben Foote and then on sold at the Ready to Run sale to Lui for $300,000. Said Lui of the winner on the weekend: "I don't think there is a horse in Hong Kong to threaten him." The five-year-old beat Ka Ying Star with Beauty Generation finishing a disappointing sixth.

Mauritian Karis Teetan continued his good form at Sha Tin, riding two winners, and he now sits at 16 with Zac Purton and Joao Moreira leading the Premiership on 21.

Big day for Tom Marquand and his partner leading lady rider Hollie Doyle on the weekend in the UK. Doyle, who broke her own record last week for winners in the season, rode the first two winners on the card at Berkshire and Marquand landed the last two winners, including the Champion Stakes on the William Haggas trained stayer galloper Addeybb, who was the star in Sydney last season winning two Gr1s with Marquand aboard. “Addeybb has done wonders for my career," said Marquand. "That was no mean feat by William to have the horse ready for this after being in Australia earlier in the year."

And news from the John Gosden yard, stayer Stradivarius will race on again next season.

In Japan the filly Daring Tact became the first undefeated winner of the Japanese Fillies Triple Crown when taking the Oka Sho at Kyoto on the weekend following on her fine wins in the Japanese Oaks and the Shuka Sho. Being in such fine form, the filly is likely to head towards the Japan Cup.

In NZ, the Per Incanto filly Bonham has firmed to $6 for the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton after she had made it two from two for the Benner-Wynyard stable at Hastings on the weekend in the hands of Danielle Johnson. Said the top rider: "She picked them up easily and then she just eased off. She is a real lady." The filly cost Gary Harding $160,000 from the draft of Avondale Stud. She is out of the Redoute's Choice mare Fortune's Choice who is the granddaughter of Danendri and is closely related to Faint Perfume.

Also a mover in the 1000 Guineas market is the winner at Ashburton, the filly Cornflower Blue for Te Akau. That gave Savabeel his 104th stakes winner and from all accounts the filly is lucky to be racing having missed going through the sale ring for Waikato Stud with a damaged wither and then, after running second to Need I Say More as a two-year-old, she fractured a bone in a leg. She is from the O'Reilly mare Tiffany Yellow and hails from the female line of Mosse, Terravista and Tiger Tees.

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