Mark Zahra booked for Verry Elleegant in Melbourne Cup
With the choice of two in-form champion jockeys, the Verry Elleegant team had a difficult decision to make for the Melbourne Cup but that decision has been made.
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Mark Zahra has secured the prized Melbourne Cup ride on Caulfield Cup winner and six-time Group 1-winning mare Verry Elleegant.
Racenet revealed on Tuesday that Zahra, who has ridden Chris Waller’s mare to consecutive Group 1 wins in the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup, had retained the ace ride.
James McDonald had been Verry Elleegant’s regular rider until he chose to remain in Sydney for the start of the spring.
After Very Elleegant won the Caulfield Cup, firming to become an $11 chance in the Melbourne Cup, Waller indicated it was a “tricky call” as to whether Zahra or McDonald, now in self-isolation in Melbourne, would ride the mare on the first Tuesday in November.
Later on Tuesday as Waller confirmed Verry Elleegant would take her spot in the Melbourne Cup, he said: “James McDonald has done a lot of work on this wonderful mare and will rejoin her when she returns to Sydney for her autumn campaign.
“It was not a decision we took lightly but we felt it would be wrong to break up the partnership that Mark and Verry Elleegant have created winning both the Turnbull Stakes and the Caulfield Cup.”
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Zahra is riding in some of the best form of his career, landing four winners on Caulfield Cup day.
Verry Elleegant’s Caulfield Cup win earned her a half-kilogram penalty for the Melbourne Cup where she will now carry 55.5kg.
McDonald will ride Waller stablemate Finche in the Melbourne Cup.
Finche finished fifth in the Caulfield Cup.
“Finche has bounced through the run and seems to be in great order after a tough run on Saturday,” Waller said. “He is all set for the Melbourne Cup now and we have been lucky enough to secure James McDonald for the ride.
“He is a genuine chance again this year in his third attempt at the time honoured race and we are delighted to be represented by him again.”
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Originally published as Mark Zahra booked for Verry Elleegant in Melbourne Cup