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By Ray Hickson

James McDonald has never stopped to think whether Verry Elleegant’s ‘quirks’ could be what makes her the champion she is.

Jockey James McDonald (Pic: Bradley Photos)

He says every good horse has a quirk or two about them but in Verry Elleegant’s case it seems she’s been blessed with plenty of them, to the extent she can be unpredictable.

Under the care of Chris Waller the six-year-old has more than realised her potential, and is certainly not as hard work as when she arrived in his stable, and on Saturday at Rosehill will chase her 12th Group 1 win in the $700,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m).

“She’s never been the easiest to deal with,’’ McDonald said.

“She has her quirks, she’s sometimes slow away. Sometimes she jumps, sometimes she over races. Sometimes she relaxes. You just don’t know.

“We have to get the little things right and hopefully she’s good enough to overcome the rest.”

The reigning Horse Of The Year casts a big shadow over the Ranvet Stakes as she eyes back-to-back wins in the race – it would be just the second time she’s won a Group 1 race more than once.

A year ago she came out on top in an epic battle with her great rival Addeybb. He’s not there this time around and it was put to McDonald that Saturday could be his ‘Winx moment’.

(Of course McDonald did ride Winx to victory in the 2015 Theo Marks, which was win three of her 33 start unbeaten run).

“I don’t know about that, even though she’s going to be the short priced favourite there is still worthy opposition,’’ McDonald said.

“Winx had 10 lengths on them whereas Verry Elleegant has a bit on them but still has to execute well and do the little things right to win.”

Verry Elleegant was $1.35 favourite with TAB, so not quite ‘Winx odds’, on Thursday with Montefilia, the horse McDonald respects most in the six horse field, at $5.50.

She’s now into what most would describe as her comfort zone at 2000m after a typically gutsy win in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) three weeks ago.

“She’s going really well at home and she looks unbelievable, she gets her preferred surface by the looks and gets out to a trip she enjoys,’’ he said.

“What enhanced her chances last time was the very heavy conditions which made it a testing mile, which she loves. Now she’s out to a trip she enjoys, and she can travel strongly over, there’s a lot to like about her.

“It looks pretty good at the moment but she still has to go out there and do it.”

McDonald has rides in all five Group 1s at Rosehill on Saturday and while Verry Elleegant will be the crowd pleasing highlight he’s aiming for his second win in the $5m Longines Golden Slipper (1200m) on unbeaten filly Coolangatta.

It’s been two months since the filly won the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast as trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have sidestepped heavy tracks in the past few weeks.

That’s not something that concerns McDonald, especially after he made the trip to Newcastle last Friday to ride her in a jump out.

“I think she’s going unbelievably well and she’s the horse to beat in the Slipper even though she’s drawn a bit wide,’’ he said.

Verry Elleegant wins the Chipping Norton

“The way they raced last weekend they were out to the middle so I’m happy about that.

“She’s still the benchmark two-year-old going around at the moment. They’ve got to go to her level, she’s just got to replicate what she’s done in her three starts.”

Like most, McDonald has a small query on Coolangatta if the track happened to be in the heavy range on Saturday but he looks back on her win in the Bruce McLachlan on Boxing Day as a sign the surface may not be a big issue.

“She is one for one on soft and it was a really testing soft 6 that day, she burnt the candle at both ends and still had the audacity to win by two lengths,’’ he said.

Coolangatta was $4.80 favourite with TAB on Thursday.

McDonald’s other Group 1 rides are Anamoe in the $600,000 Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (2000m), Colette in the $1m The Agency George Ryder (1500m) and Brooklyn Hustle in the $700,000 Furphy Galaxy (1100m).

All the entries, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Slipper Day at Rosehill