Local superstar Verry Elleegant and English champion Addeybb take centre stage this Saturday on the Seven Network when they clash in the coveted Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
The $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes looms as the highlight of The Championships’ final day, and is one of four Group 1 races at Randwick on Saturday, alongside the $2 million Sydney Cup, and the $1 million Australian Oaks and Queen of the Turf Stakes.
At Caulfield, the best Victorian-bred horses will race for more than $2.5 million in prizemoney, when the headline act is the $1 million Showdown for two-year-olds.
On one of the Autumn Racing Carnival’s most iconic days, Seven will have all the big moments at Randwick and Caulfield covered from 12.00pm AEST Saturday on Channel 7, 7two and 7plus.
Australia’s pre-eminent sports broadcaster Bruce McAvaney will again lead racing’s best commentary team on Saturday. He will be joined by Katelyn Mallyon, Michelle Payne, Jason Richardson and Sky Racing’s Lizzie Jelfs. Kate Waterhouse will bring fans all the colour, fashion and celebrity interviews from Randwick.
The rivalry between Verry Elleegant and Addeybb has quickly become one of the most compelling in thoroughbred racing. In the past two Ranvet Stakes, the pair have waged titantic battles, with Addeybb taking the spoils in 2020 and Verry Elleegant reversing that result this year.
Addeybb is bidding for back-to-back Queen Elizabeth victories on Saturday, but Verry Elleegant is expected to start favourite in the 2000m feature, while Tancred Stakes winner Sir Dragonet and All Star Mile victor Mugatoo cannot be discounted.
In the Australian Oaks (2400m), star Kiwi filly Amarelinha will attempt to complete the New Zealand Oaks-Australian Oaks double, while Hungry Heart is bidding to emulate stablemate Verry Elleegant’s 2019 Vinery Stud Stakes-Australian Oaks double.
The clash between ultra-consistent mare Realm of Flowers and William Haggas-trained gelding Favorite Moon looms as the highlight of the Sydney Cup (3200m), while New Zealand mare Probabeel is chasing her fourth Australian Group 1 victory in the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m), where 2020 Australian Oaks winner Colette and rising star Nimalee are among her main challengers.
At Caulfield, unbeaten colt Starry Legend looms as the two-year-old to beat in The Showdown (1200m), but he will have to overcome impressive Godolphin filly Arcaded and Finance Tycoon, who finished a gallant fourth in the Blue Diamond Stakes.
