Australia: Think It Over Out to Spoil Elleegant Return

The first Group 1 event of the new Australian racing season is on late Friday night (Saturday Australian time), and many are expecting it to go the same way as it did a year ago.

The well-named Verry Elleegant was to the fore in the Winx S. (G1) (1400 meters, or about seven furlongs) at Royal Randwick a year ago, taking the race at the start of an outstanding campaign which is likely to see her named Australian Horse of the Year.

Trained by Chris Waller, Verry Elleegant is at her best over middle distances, but she has enough class to win first-up over 1400 meters and will be charging home late in the Randwick feature. But she is now a six-year-old, and there isn’t likely to be great value about her.

Perhaps the best horse to take her on with is the proven sprinter-miler Think It Over. He won first-up over 1300 meters in the autumn and two starts later showed his class by winning the George Ryder S. (G1)  at Rosehill.

Think It Over has been training well and won a barrier trial at Kembla Grange a week ago. At odds around 7-1 (9-1 in the past performances on TwinSpires.com), he looks a reasonable chance of an upset from post 2.

As is usually the case in Sydney features, Waller is not single-handed in the Winx. In addition to Verry Elleegant, he also starts Kolding, Imaging, Star of the Seas, and Hungry Heart.

Star of the Seas finished second in this event last year, but it may be Kolding that goes closest to toppling his stablemate. He has a very good record at Randwick and is the only runner in the field to have had a prep run, finishing a close fifth in the Missile S.  (G2) over 1200 meters on Aug. 7.

Exciting four-year-old Mo’unga – named after the New Zealand rugby star Richie Mo’unga – and Doncaster Mile (G1) winner Cascadian are also capable of playing a part if they are forward enough.

BEST PLAY

Australia, Race 8 at Randwick (1:45 a.m. ET late Friday night)

• $4 to win, $8 to show on #2 Think It Over
• $1 box quinella: #1 Kolding, #2 Think It Over, #3 Cascadian, #11 Mo’Unga, #12 Verry Elleegant