Verry Ellegant Storms Home to Win Melbourne Cup

New Zealand-bred bay Verry Ellegant won this year’s A$8 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse, storming home in the final straight to win by three-and-a-half lengths from local favourite Incentivise, Reuters journalist Ian Ransom reports.

The six-year-old mare, rated a 14/1 chance by bookmakers, gave Waikato-born jockey James McDonald, 29, and Australian-based Foxton-born trainer Chris Waller their first wins in the gruelling two-mile handicap known as “the race that stops the nation”, Ransom writes.

McDonald was overwhelmed with emotion after crossing on the horse that won last year’s Caulfield Cup but had never triumphed beyond 2400m.

“I love her to bits, she’s been so good to me,” McDonald said.

Only two horses prepared outside Australia and New Zealand were among the 23 that ran at Flemington, where a COVID-capped crowd of 10,000 gathered on a hot, sunny day.

Original article by Ian Ransom, Reuters, November 2, 2021.