Verry Elleegant Stakes Tips & Preview 2024

Verry Ellegant sourced from Chris Waller facebook

Looking for Verry Elleegant Stakes tips and best bets? We dissect times and form to find the winner of the 2024 Verry Elleegant Stakes at Flemington.

VERRY ELLEEGANT STAKES BETTING SNAPSHOT

Fangirl is the dominant $1.50 favourite with PlayUp for the Verry Elleegant Stakes after her two length win when resuming in the Apollo Stakes (1400m). Just Fine ($7.50) and Think It Over ($8.50) are the only other runners below the $10 quote. 

Chris Waller has four runners in the race named after his former champion, including Fangirl, while Buckaroo ($12), Lindermann ($14) and Atishu ($26) are his other three. Cascadian is a $16 chance for Godolphin, while Navajo Peak ($31), Arapaho ($71) and Athabaskan ($151) round out the 10-horse field. 

VERRY ELLEEGANT STAKES FORM ANALYSIS

Seven of the 10 runners were in action in the Apollo Stakes and were all first up. Fangirl settled back in the field after being hampered at the start and came out wide as they straightened, powering away to go a very healthy 13.1 lengths faster than standard benchmark. 

Second up last time, the five-year-old was back in the 7-Stakes (1600m) and they crawled early on in that race. She produced the fastest last 400m but the lack of early tempo counted against, with her running 3rd behind Think It Over. 

Think It Over was 3rd in the recent Apollo Stakes and should improve on that run. It is hard to make a case for the beaten brigade to turn the tables on Fangirl, however, a number raced without much luck. Navajo Peak was wide without cover and stuck on well for 4th, while Buckaroo didn’t enjoy much galloping room in the straight en route to landing in 5th spot. The former Joseph O’Brien galloper represents a bit of X-factor and should be open to improvement at his second run this time in. 

Lindermann (6th), Arapaho (7th) and Cascadian (9th) are the other three. Lindermann and Cascadian are others that did not have much room in the straight, while Arapaho was outclassed. Cascadian is getting on in years but is the one that might be open to most improvement. His most recent second up run came in the All-Star Mile (1600m) last year and he improved seven lengths on figures to go 14 lengths faster than standard when runner-up behind Mr Brightside. 

Just Fine is an interesting contender. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper won three on the trot to start his last preparation and was well fancied in the Might And Power Stakes (2000m) but punctured when last behind Alligator Blood. 

He was a winner over the 1600m at Randwick when first up last spring going 7.7 lengths faster than standard before going 15 lengths faster at his next two. Fangirl is the only horse in this race that has produced something superior when going 16.8 lengths faster in the Cox Plate (2040m), running a close 7th.

Atishu is a proven Group 1 performer but tends to take time to get going in her preparations. She couldn’t quite keep up in a strongly run CF Orr Stakes (1400m) when 8th behind Mr Brightside. Athabascan is a stayer that might battle to pick off anyone in the straight.  

VERRY ELLEEGANT STAKES TIPS AND BEST BETS

Impossible to go past Fangirl. She has matured into one of the best horses in the land and that was evidenced by her dominant performance against a similar field in the Apollo Stakes. The step up to the 1600m should only suit. For those looking for a roughie, Cascadian might be one to consider at the place. The nine-year-old returned from a long break with an inconclusive run behind Fangirl but has improved second up at his past couple of preparation’s and can run into the minor placings.