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By Ray Hickson

A first-up win by superstar mare Verry Elleegant isn’t being ruled out by trainer Chris Waller but he does warn everything would need to fall into place for her at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Chris Waller (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Although the six-year-old is a Group 1 winner at 1400m, Waller is wary that her last start was at 3200m and when she resumed in the Group 2 $250,000 The Agency Apollo Stakes (1400m) last year the trip was a shade sharp for her.

She’s had a fairly similar preparation into the 2022 renewal, where she was $5 with TAB on Wednesday, and it's worth noting her past two first-up 1400m attempts have yielded a second (2021 Winx) and a third (2021 Apollo).

“She’s come back well, second time around after running two miles I wouldn’t be as confident she is going to win first-up but she will run well,’’ Waller said.

“When we’ve prepared her for Winxs (Winx Stakes) and things like that it has been a Group 1. She’s well prepared but she’s not wound up.

“If she’s got a bit of cut in the ground and good speed on she’ll blow them away over any distance. But if you get a good track, slow tempo, she won’t win over 1400m.”

Verry Elleegant is one of three Waller representatives in the Apollo, alongside Kolding and Hungry Heart, and the target is naturally to add the Group 1 $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) to her CV after being twice denied by UK star Addeybb.

The reigning Australian Horse Of The Year is a $6 equal favourite, with Zaaki and Anamoe, with TAB to achieve that goal and Waller said she’s finally developed into a complete racehorse.

“Physically and mentally she’s outstanding, she looks great and matured into a real decent horse in the last 12 months,’’ he said.

“She’s probably a touch more relaxed again, which has been her only downfall throughout her career.

“Some of those seconds in Group 1 races probably could have been firsts through her own undoing but she’s pretty foolproof now.

“Second-up over a mile is when she will be starting to hit her straps, third-up Ranvet is the plan.”

Hungry Heart was a headliner at the Star Championships last year with her dominant Australian Oaks win but her spring was a little underwhelming with just one placing, a third behind Colette in the Group 1 Empire Rose, in five starts.

That can happen with star fillies transitioning to take on all comers at four but Waller said she’s on notice this campaign.

“She needs to win a soft race somewhere,’’ Waller said.

“We could deflect away from the genuine weight-for-ae path if there’s a nice Group 2 race for her because I feel she just needs to get that winning feeling back.”

Could retirement beckon this year for the daughter of Frankel if she doesn’t fire?

“That’s up to the owners but she can’t do too much more, she’s won two Group 1s and doesn’t deserve to be running around if she’s not in the finish,’’ Waller said.

Verry Elleegant runs third in last year's Apollo Stakes

Of his trio the champion trainer is predicting that Kolding, $31 on Wednesday, could be the surprise packet after he found a reason for the six-year-old’s disappointing spring which only realise three starts.

Kolding was found to have a growth in his throat. He wasn’t operated on but was on antibiotics for six weeks before making a full recovery.

That’s the reason he didn’t resume as normal in the Expressway.

“I think he could be the big improver,’’ Waller said.

“I was a bit behind but he’s had two trials. I used to like taking him third-up to a mile, that used to work every time, but our luck ran out.

“Chipping Norton second-up is probably his type of race while the others aren’t fully wound up.”

Waller suspects Kolding might be a notch below a Queen Elizabeth Stakes level, and could wind up being aimed at the Hollindale and Doomben Cup in Queensland, but is open to being proven wrong.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Royal Randwick