Last year's Melbourne Cup-winning mare Verry Elleegant will be supplemented to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at a cost of £120,000 (approximately US$137,000), owners Jomara Bloodstock Ltd announced via Twitter on Sunday.
Most recently, the 7-year-old mare finished third in the Prix Foy, her second start in France for new trainer Francis Henri-Graffard.
Verry Elleegant was trained to 11 Group 1 victories in Australia by Chris Waller. According to racingpost.com, Verry Elleegant will be the first horse representing Australia or New Zealand to contest the Arc since 2011, when So You Think (NZ) finished fourth.
The Arc is scheduled to be held on Oct. 2, with potential runners as follows: Luxembourg, Alpinista, Torquator Tasso, Titleholder, Onesto, Adayar, La Parisienne, Westover, and Sealiway, among others.
After a meeting with the ownership group & the trainer Francis-Henri @GraffardRacing we are delighted to announce that we will be paying the late entry fee & giving our champion mare the chance to represent AUS/NZ in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe & take on the worlds best
— Verry Elleegant (@VerryElleegant) September 19, 2022
The decision was announced just after the news that Verry Elleegant's dam, two-time New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Opulence, passed away after foaling a full sister to Verry Elleegant.
According to the New Zealand Racing Desk:
Grangewilliam Stud has been home to Opulence for the last decade and she has brought much acclaim to the South Taranaki farm through her lucrative matings with resident stallion Zed.
She has had six live foals by the stallion, including Melbourne Cup (3200m) heroine Verry Elleegant and Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) winner Verry Flash.
Farm principal Mark Corcoran was devastated by Opulence's death but took solace that everything was done to try to save the mare.
“She foaled in the early hours of Saturday morning and had a cracking filly. She was fine all day and then in the afternoon she went for a trot,” Corcoran said.
“While she was jogging around she had an internal bleed.
“On vets advice we put her on a truck to take her to Massey University's surgical clinic and unfortunately she died en route.
“We have just done a post-mortem this (Sunday) morning and she had ruptured the uterine artery and had an internal hemorrhage.
“It is really upsetting, but that is breeding.”
Corcoran said her filly foal has been doing well and she has now been paired up with a foster mare.
“The filly is fine and we have now got a foster mare for her. She is a lovely filly and we are just rapt it was a filly,” Corcoran said.
“Don Goodwin, the breeder, will be keeping her, that's for sure.”
Corcoran said Opulence has been a great advocate for the farm, particularly through the deeds of Verry Elleegant, who is now plying her trade in France where she placed in the Gr.2 Prix Foy (2400m) last weekend.
“She (Opulence) has been a real flagbearer for us and has given us plenty of profile, which has been great,” Corcoran said.
“She has been New Zealand Broodmare of the Year for two years running and has left some great foals.
“Verry Elleegant was a Champion in Australia and last week she looked well and showed her true fighting spirit.
“Opulence isn't a one-hit wonder, with Verry Flash having won 11 races, including one at stakes level.
“Her Haradasun, Grand Prospect, won a race the other day so hopefully he wins a few more.”
Opulence also has a Zed yearling colt, which will be the last of her progeny to be offered to the public as a yearling next year.
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