Behind the decision to take people’s champion Verry Elleegant to Europe
She was the wayward filly who became the nation’s sweetheart so why not let her retire a champion in Australia? Instead, Verry Elleegant is now based in France and not everyone is happy with the decision.
Sydney Weekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sydney Weekend. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Verry Elleegant is living a different life to the one she knew when she was racing to glory on the tracks of Australia. Enjoying peaceful walks through the Chantilly forest, she is getting to know her new French home as a new trainer prepares her for the global stage, an arena in which the Melbourne Cup winner has firmly earned her place, if you ask owner, Brae Sokolski.
But sending her to finish her extraordinary career with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, one of the world’s most prestigious races which is held in Paris each October, was not an easy decision to make, he assures Sydney Weekend.
You see, when a horse like Verry Elleegant – a once wayward filly who became an unlikely champion – wins the hearts of an adoring public, she seemingly becomes the property of those who love her. A generation of Australian racegoers feel like she is theirs, and many have argued that aged almost seven, and with a Caulfield and Melbourne Cup to her name, she’s earned the right to retire as the champion she is.
But could she achieve even more?
No matter what happens, Sokolski has no doubt that the decision by the champion mare’s ownership group to send her to Europe is the right one, despite the sleep he lost making it.
“There’s a lot of gravity to that decision and dealing with a horse that is so loved and has such a following, and that decision was not made lightly. It’s caused us sleepless nights but I think all the ownership group are now very much at peace with the decision and know that it’s the right decision and can’t wait for what lies ahead,” he says.
TAKING ON THE WORLD
The six-year-old landed in France last monthwith 16 wins from 38 starts, including 11 Group Ones, over her career, earning her owners just shy of $15m in prize money. The talent a racehorse needs to justify an overseas campaign comes once in a lifetime if you’re lucky but Sokolski says their girl has it in spades.
“Honestly in a lifetime, you’d be lucky to have one deemed good enough to go over there, especially when you’re tackling their staying races because, for the Europeans, that’s their wheelhouse,” he says.
“You see Australian sprinters going over to Royal Ascot year in year out and competing successfully because our sprinters are considered the best in the world.
“But when you’re talking about staying horses, the European horses most certainly are (the best) and to take an Australian horse to take them on in their own back yard is almost unprecedented.
“There’s no doubt in my mind she’s one of the greatest stayers Australia and New Zealand have ever produced, certainly in the modern era, and you need a horse of that ability, that prowess, to be even contemplating going over there and taking them on, on their home turf.”
And no, it’s not about the money, he says. In fact, if the decision was a commercial one, she never would have boarded that plane.
“We felt like she had achieved all she could in Australia, there was no opportunity and really nothing left for her here,” Sokolski says.
“So logically, even though she’s getting closer to the end of her career than the beginning – we acknowledge that – but the only remaining frontier for her was to take on the world. And the prize money is so inferior in Europe that all these cynics saying we’re doing it for the money are clearly very uneducated because the prize money is so much larger here.
“The easiest thing for us to do was to stay in Australia if it was a commercial decision.
“It’s about the achievement and giving her the opportunity to prove herself on the world stage. That’s all that matters to us.”
That decision was one Verry Elleegant’s trainer Chris Waller didn’t want made, but in the end he understood, Sokolski says.
“Chris obviously wanted to retain the horse and wanted to keep her racing. He thought that was the best thing for her and we obviously respect Chris’s opinion enormously,” he says.
“But Chris is a pragmatist. He certainly understood our rationale. He himself was the one who said he wasn’t able to train a horse here for an Arc campaign, so the only choice we had was to have her trained overseas.
“We would have loved her to stay in the care of Chris Waller. I mean he’s the master trainer and no one’s going to train the horse better than him. But we had no option, given our ambitions, but to send her to Europe.”
SERIOUS ABILITY
Sokolski’s background in racing is a bit more lateral than most people embedded in the multi-billion dollar industry. Most are born into it with a family connection or were brought up around the animals they love. He had neither.
“My initial entree into the sport was just as a casual punter in my teenage years, and what I found intoxicating initially was the complexity and layers to the sport and the analytical challenge that it presents,” he says.
“The more I got involved, the more I became enamoured with the industry. I started going to the stables at Caulfield Racecourse, which was around the corner from where I lived, because I became interested in how they tried to condition the animals.
“Spending time at stables I really fell in love with the horse and I think that was a real turning point. That changed my focus from really looking at the industry as a passion, because it became more about the cerebral connection, the emotional connection.”
Today, he has shares in upwards of 80 horses, most of which he picks at yearling sales. Ability doesn’t come into those selections. Those are about pedigree. Constitution. Physical characteristics. Others are bought a bit older, based on what they can do and that’s where his eye comes in.
“In the case of Verry Elleegant, she had a couple of starts in New Zealand and it was very clear that she had serious ability,” he says.
“So the Carters in New Zealand and I came together and purchased her. At that stage, you obviously have high expectations, but no one in their right mind would have thought she would reach the heights that she has.”
Incentivise is another one of his horses and an example of him seeing what others didn’t. The champion gelding finished second to Verry Elleegant in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, fast on the back of his win in the Caulfield Cup, which Verry Elleegant had claimed the year before.
“You have to back your eye,” Sokolski says.
“Everyone looks for different things and if you watch enough races over your lifetime, you’re so used to seeing the normal and the banal – just another race, just another performance. So when you see something that is different, and it may not necessarily be something tangible … you back your instincts.
“Fortunately for me, it’s proven successful. But I’ve also failed.”
POTENTIAL REALISED
Verry Elleegant was in New Zealand whenSokolski bought her, so he didn’t get to see her in the flesh but it was that lifetime of racewatching that made her stand out.
“You could see in those early races this was a horse bred to be a stayer. She was winning over short distances, and she was so green and immature, you could see she had so much raw talent, which just had to be harnessed,” he says
Realising that potential comes down to the trainer; the job was first given to Victorian Melbourne Cup winner Darren Weir, and then to Sydney-based Chris Waller, the master, says Sokolski.
“All I can take credit for, along with my other owners, is identifying that talent. In terms of harnessing that ability and maximising it, all that’s down to the trainer and that’s the real essence of a great trainer and a great horseman,” he says.
“Especially with her because she was always a very difficult horse, not only because of the immaturity, but she was also very difficult to handle.
“She didn’t have the right attitude and trackability and Chris, through patience and education, was able to turn her from this really raw commodity into a professional racehorse.
“And that’s getting into their head.
“The fortuitous thing for us is not only was Chris able to educate her and teach her how to be a racehorse, focusing on the mental side of her development, but at the same time she flourished physically and grew into a much stronger, much more durable horse.
“Hence her incredible trajectory and improvement, because both those things were improving at the same time.
“It’s all about understanding … you have to be able to read the mind of the horse and understand why she’s doing things wrong, and what the root causes of the mental weaknesses that are holding her back. And that is a true skill. They talk about horse whisperers, and trainers aren’t that different.”
Despite initial setbacks in trying to get the best out of Verry Elleegant – they fought for her. Not once did they write her off. Or want to.
“Certainly there was a time when it was very frustrating because she was losing races because of poor racing manners and an inability to settle in races,” Sokolski admits. “But we all knew the ability that resided in her and her potential, and we were absolutely determined and committed to trying to maximise that.”
HIGH PRAISE
That determination and commitmentare qualities champion jockey James McDonald can attest to. He remembers every thundering turn of Verry Elleegant’s famed 2021 Melbourne Cup race, the glory of her achievement etched into his mind forever.
“What she’s done throughout her career is incredible. She definitely exceeded my expectations of where she would ever reach, that’s for sure,” he says.
“She tested everyone’s patience at times, but she’s just resilient and tough, and she overcame a lot of hurdles. But as she got older, she got better and better.
“I didn’t think she’d ever win a Caulfield Cup or a Melbourne Cup, but she did both. That was just how good she was, and she’s definitely up there with the best I’ve ridden.”
Verry Elleegant’s future, he hopes, will be as bright.
“I hope she maintains that high level she’s always raced at for the last five seasons here in Australia under Chris. It’s not going to be easy taking over the reins from one of the best trainers that we’ve seen here after what he did with her. But she’s with another very good trainer and she’s a very high-calibre horse, so I’m sure she’ll relish the conditions up there.
“It’s just whether she can maintain that high level of competitiveness over there at the age of seven or eight.”
CUP DREAM
Sokolski doesn’t have any children, but just likeany parent, he won’t choose a favourite horse. They all have a special place because you have to believe in them, like any good parent does.
“There is that real emotional connection you have to horses that sometimes can be irrational. And with Verry Elleegant we always had that faith in her ability and obviously she’s more than repaid that and her achievements are well beyond even our wildest expectations of her.”
Like McDonald, winning that Melbourne Cup is a moment Sokolski will never forget. It’s a moment Waller will never forget. Her adoring public will never forget.
“It’s like you dream of your football team winning a premiership and when they do, it’s obviously an incredible thrill,” Sokolski says.
“But at the end of the day, they win that premiership whether you’re in the stands or not. You’re not a protagonist in that sport, and you never can be.
“The difference with racing is as an owner, it gives you the ability to be part of the sport.
“For me, my overwhelming feelings when she won that Melbourne Cup were satisfaction and fulfilment. Yeah, sure, the elation of winning a Melbourne Cup is special, but when I reflect on the most poignant thing for me, it was to genuinely feel like I was part of the reason she won the race. We played a small part in her getting to that point. That’s probably the most special thing about winning any race, let alone a Melbourne Cup.”
TRAINING A STAR
Chris Waller first noticed Verry Elleegant in the same way Sokolski did, on television when she was racing in New Zealand. In fact, he got his agent to inquire about buying her.
“My agent made various calls but she was too much money for us. The next thing I hear she’s arrived in Melbourne and a new ownership group has bought into her and my horses were racing against her,” he says.
“I could see then she was very good, but she was extremely erratic, a real fiery young lass.
“So I didn’t give it much thought and then all of a sudden I got the opportunity to train her and I thought, ‘Is this a good thing or a bad thing, when a horse has a lot of ability, but also has issues that need dealing with’.”
Training the mare was “tough work”, he says, but as time went on she got more relaxed, and things started to flow.
“We’ve got a great team of staff that work with these horses, giving them confidence and giving them basically support to deal with whatever they might bring in, and she’s continued to evolve,” he says.
But it was hard to get into her head, he admits.
“She was different,” Waller says. “ Most horses need to do everything right and put on a 10 out of 10 display to be able to win the big prize, but she would do these things wrong and still win, that’s how good she was.
“It was pretty special to follow her journey and then become involved in it.
“I didn’t educate her or teach her to run fast, but we got the opportunity to train her when she was in her prime.”
Kind words and love were needed to build Verry Elleegant’s confidence, typical of a teenage sporting team where you know they’ve got the ability but need to learn how to harness it, as well as repeat it.
“So they have to start enjoying things pretty quick, otherwise they get sick of it.”
And while it now feels like his child has grown up and left home, he is proud of where she’s going and heartened by the fact that she will be home at the end of it.
“I actually feel quite good about it,” he says.
“I gave the owners the option to say look, if you’re seriously thinking about taking this horse to some big races in Europe, she’s going to have to either prepare there, or just go over hoping for the best. They chose going over there to prepare her, and that was one of my suggestions to them.
“So I don’t see it as shooting yourself in the foot at all. I think it’s great.
“I just hope, more than anything, that she gets back to her Australian form and her best, and the rest of the world can see how good she really is.
“I actually feel proud that she’s going over there. I think the Melbourne Cup was probably the defining moment. Like there was nothing more that could be done here in Australia, she’s done everything she basically could, within reason.”
Waller says he can see why people would question whether racing in Europe was the right move, and he put Australia’s extraordinarily wet autumn down as the “sole reason” for her under- par performances this year.
“I think she can bounce back and we did all the right veterinary and health checks to ensure that there was nothing physically wrong with her. Apart from her age and the body clock ticking away a little but if she gets on some good footing again, they are hoping she can bounce back. And that’s the unknown, that is the huge grey area.”
CONTROVERSIAL MOVE
Criticism is part and parcel of having a profile in the sport and putting yourself “out there”. And to the critics, Sokolski says it is an owner’s right to determine the fate of their horses.
Fellow owner Tim Barry says the decision was such a loaded one, he made a list of pros and cons to make up his mind on where he stood.
“Like many of our crew, I wasn’t overly confident in the decision to take her initially, but that is when the pieces of the puzzle started to come together and ideas comparing the options available to Australia versus the options available to France,” he says.
“I actually wrote down a whole lot of notes for myself on where she came from, her history – and thought, well, this is the greatest opportunity I’m ever going to have in racing, to test her on the world stage.
“Like a lot of people involved in Verry Elleegant, my history and my love of horses goes back a hell of a long time … and all those things considered, and the wonderful achievements Chris had had with her, it seemed like a no-brainer in the end.”
Barry’s love of horses started more than 40 years ago, and being involved in Verry Elleegant remains a “pinch me” moment.
“When I was 10 and 11 years of age I didn’t put trucks and motorbikes and things on my bedroom wall, I put racehorses,” he laughs.
“She came from very humble beginnings and developed into the beautiful champion that she is. She’s a very special horse and we just want her to present her amazing talents on the world stage. She owes us absolutely nothing but she loves to run and she loves to win and she’s got this tenacity many of us have never seen in a horse. She is very close to our hearts.”
He says the owners spoke to Waller who had “his own thoughts” on her path, prompting a frank discussion between the group.
“We’ve become close mates over this time so we were chatting over beers and over phone calls and investigated the opportunity further and what that would mean, and it just fell into place,” Barry says.
“Brae has a very close relationship with Chris so was nominated to talk to him and say, ‘look, this is what we’re thinking’ and it all sort of came together from there with the 80 per cent all agreeing that it felt right, and we would never get another opportunity like that again.”
Among dissenters were Auckland-based breeder Don Goodwin and horse trainer Nick Bishara.
“They were pretty adamant to keep her in Australia and they had their reasons and that that’s the choice, but majority rules – we would have loved them to have come along for the ride but they chose not to.”
Bishara says the move was first flagged to the owners over a Zoom call, with everyone in agreement she should stay in Waller’s care, with a decision to be made after the spring if her form warranted it.
“Chris had a plan mapped out to go to Europe eventually after a couple of prep runs here, and the whole syndicate were in agreement to that. Two weeks later we were told that 80 per cent of the syndicate were in agreement and she was leaving Chris’s care.
“We were very unhappy about the way it went down, to be honest,” he says. “We believe they’re not putting the horse first. The mare’s rising seven and it’s very hard to take a horse to compete in Europe and win … staying horses in Europe are world class – and I’m not saying Verry Elleegant is not world class, but we were of the opinion she had a bit of an ordinary autumn and were mindful of looking after the horse rather than swanning around France in a Ferrari or something.”
He says walking away was a tough decision to make but the concern was if she didn’t perform well, it would affect her whole career.
“In those two weeks there was no correspondence, not another meeting to debate it. It was ‘this is what’s happening, you’re either in or you’re out’,” Bishara says.
“It was really bittersweet because she was our baby to start with and then we let people buy into her and then we really didn’t have any say at the end. She was probably the second best here in Australia in the last 20 years behind Winx … but rising seven and travelling halfway around the world is a big ask.
“I still love the mare, I would like nothing untoward ever to happen to her ever and I would love to see her win, even if we made the wrong call. But I’m a horse trainer, I know what it’s like and the good can’t keep going forever.”
Sokolski begrudges nobody in the wider horseracing community their differing opinion to his. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and I don’t begrudge them that. But what I do begrudge is when they question the right of an owner to make decisions regarding a horse. Because at the end of the day, the owners are the ones who buy horses, the owners are the ones that pay the bills, and the owners are the ones that are entitled to determine the fate of their horses. You can question my judgment but you can’t question my right to make that judgment. That’s where I draw the line.
“Obviously there are a lot of people critical (of moving Verry Elleegant to France) and a lot of people wanting us to take the safe path as owners. I genuinely feel like there’s a possibility to achieve something extraordinary, and that she deserves a chance to prove her greatness on the world stage. And if she fails and if it doesn’t work, well then so be it but at least we can know we’ve tried, and given her that opportunity.”
DIFFICULT ROAD
Leading French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard takes horses on from other trainers all the time – usually from the UK though, not Australia – so this time, he says, feels very different.
“It works pretty well but obviously the main difficulty for me is to take a horse from a trainer like Chris Waller who is a champion trainer with a lot of experience,” he says from his Chantilly home. “But I am glad we are here and I am very happy to take the challenge.”
He says Verry Elleegant has settled in perfectly and is very happy in her new surrounds and, for now, getting to know her spirit and personality involves a lot of observation.
“Every detail is important,” he says.
“She already feels very professional. She knows her job and has settled in really well. Nothing has bothered her.”
For the next few months, Verry Elleegant slips in to the same program as Graffard’s other horses as she prepares for her first race, which he is hopeful will be in August.
“She will tell me, obviously, but a start in August would be great,” he says.
So will she get to the Arc?
Like Sokolski, Graffard hopes so.
“It is a big task but we will see how she trends and how competitive she is in European company,” he says. “I don’t want to say ‘she will go to the Arc’, because she will tell us.”
GRAND AMBITION
Sokolski will go and see his champion next month, and if she does triumph and earn a spot in the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October, he’ll be back there cheering her on.
“I can’t wait to get to Chantilly and it’s not about watching her race. Just being with her in the stables and spending time with her will be really special,” he says.
“It’s not a single-minded focus on that one race, we want her to be over there performing at her best, and if she can justify her place in that race, fantastic. If not, and she’s able to win another group one race or whatever, we just want to make sure we do the right thing by her.”
The long-term goal is to breed her when the time comes. Whether that’s with the likes of retired British thoroughbred Frankel is still undecided but the one known variable is that Verry Elleegant will be a mother one day.
“That’s always their next chapter in life and we are focused on racing at the moment, but of course in time can’t wait to see her progeny race,” Sokolski says.
‘This one of the most undignified things you can do in public’
With breakdancing ruled out of the Olympics for the Los Angeles 2028 Games I have some ideas for some other non-traditional sports to be showcased.
Virginia Trioli on love, life and the search for happiness
For ABC broadcaster Virginia Trioli, life – like good food – is not always about the main event.