Connections have spoken of their heartbreak after Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant died while giving birth in Ireland.
Trainer Chris Waller confirmed the news on his social media account on Monday morning.
Jockey James McDonald, who steered Verry Elleegant to victory in the 2021 Cup, said the horse was “unbelievably special to me”, while Sydney-based part-owner Brae Sokolski admitted he would never forget the phone call from the stud master late on Sunday.
“She was a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Sokolski said. “Forget about her exploits on the racetrack, we just loved her as a horse. To lose her is devastating.
“There are always risks with breeding, but you never expect [the worst]. And to happen to her at such a young age, and with her first foal, it’s gut-wrenching.
“It’s also a loss of multiple generations of her progeny. It effectively stops the family tree. The next chapter was to watch her sons and daughters race. We lose that, and the breeding industry now loses that.
Verry Elleegant and James McDonald after winning the Melbourne Cup.Credit: Getty
“The manager of the farm in Ireland called late Sunday. I thought he was calling me to tell me she had ‘foaled down’, I was excited to answer, but I could tell by the tone immediately it wasn’t good news.
“In layman’s terms, the foal position was in the worst position it could be in. They call it a ‘dog-sitter’ position. It was almost impossible to get the foal out. They couldn’t save the foal, and the foal caused a lot of internal damage to Verry Elleegant.
“They rushed her to a clinic, but they couldn’t save her. Verry Elleegant was insured, but it’s irrelevant. She was like a member of the family. I’ll never race another one that is better.”
Sokolski made a conscious decision to not find out the sex of the deceased foal. He said there would be a lot of emotion on Saturday week when the Chipping Norton Stakes, recently re-named the Verry Elleegant Stakes, is run.
Brae Sokolski with Verry Elleegant in 2022.Credit: Steven Siewert
He will race Buckeroo, for Waller, but McDonald is already committed to Fangirl. Sokolski said it would be an emotional day.
Verry Elleegant won 11 group 1s, including the 2021 Melbourne Cup, and nearly $15 million in prizemoney. The eight-year-old mare had been served by champion stallion Sea The Stars.
“It is incredibly sad that we pass on the news on behalf of the ownership group that Verry Elleegant has passed away due to complications giving birth to her foal,” Waller posted.
“The news is just filtering through to the stable staff now and other close connections who are coming to terms with the tragic news.
“She was in fantastic hands on a farm who did all they could for her, and we would like to thank them for their efforts, which we will forever be grateful for.
“We all saw the courage she had on the racetrack over many seasons, and she will never be forgotten by those close to her, as well as the wider racing public who followed her career and loved her so much.”
McDonald said Verry Elleegant had given him his “greatest day on a racetrack”.
“She’s unbelievably special to me, and it was extremely sad when I got the news this morning,” McDonald said on Monday. “Her courage, her will to win, it was something else. She was special to me from day one. Her Cup win was the best by miles. Her win in the [ATC] Oaks was also special, that was a great day.”
After champion mare Winx retired, Waller often spoke of how fortunate he was to be able to enjoy racing another champion mare in Verry Elleegant.
Waller often becomes emotional when talking about his horses. Before Verry Elleegant’s Cup win, he told this masthead: “I’m not a religious person, but I say a prayer most race days for my horses to come home safely. I haven’t spoken to anyone about that before. If you win races, it’s great, if you win big races, it’s even better, but a horse’s safety is always paramount.”
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