Deauville date set for Australia's darling Verry Elleegant's European debut

Star import Verry Elleegant could head to Deauville for her first racecourse assignment in Europe, with trainer Francis Graffard set to run last year's Melbourne Cup heroine over a mile.

Verry Elleegant earned a global fanclub during three and a half glorious years with Chris Waller in Sydney before her owners decided to send her to France to be prepared for a crack at the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Graffard said he would be "standing on the shoulders of a giant" in taking the mare on from Waller and the soon-to-turn seven-year-old had her first spin on the Chantilly turf last week, and Graffard is pleased with the way she has settled in.

"Everything is going well and the mare has acclimatised in Chantilly pretty well," he said. "We're heading in the right direction and the idea is to perhaps run her in the Prix Rothschild at Deauville on August 2."

While Verry Elleegant's stellar career with Waller has taken in Group 1 success at all points between seven furlongs and the two miles of the Cup, such versatility in the northern hemisphere is rare at the highest level.

Graffard has been given a clean slate to prepare Verry Elleegant and believes that starting off in the Prix Rothschild over a mile could be the answer, rather than give away weight at a lesser level.

"I need to see for myself when she works but apparently she can be quite keen in her races and so I'd rather bring her back over a shorter distance and then stretch her out after that, especially given how French races can be run," he added.

"On top of that she's won at Group 1 level this year so I don't have 50 different alternatives. If her preparation goes well that's where we'll likely go."

Entries for the Group 1 Prix Rothschild will close on July 13 and Verry Elleegant is likely to find herself up against specialist milers in a race restricted to fillies and mares over Deauville's straight track.

The recent roll of honour includes Mother Earth, Laurens and Graffard's Royal Ascot heroine Watch Me, for what is the first of five Group 1s run at Deauville during the summer.

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