Verry Elleegant third in her second European start

Champion New Zealand-bred mare Verry Elleegant gave her supporters a sight but came up short in Sunday’s €130,000 Gr.2 Prix Foy (2400m) at Longchamp, finishing third behind multiple French stakes winners Iresine and Bubble Gift.

Verry Elleegant attempted to lead throughout in the traditional Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe lead-up for horses aged four or older, ambling through the first 1400 metres in 1:35.85 on ground officially rated soft.

Christophe Soumillon rode the perfect race aboard Verry Elleegant ($3.90), the only mare in the field, asking her to quicken at the 500-metre mark once balanced into the home straight.

The 11-time Group One winner responded bravely once challenged by Bubble Gift ($2.80 favourite), who raced on her hindquarters into the home straight, only to be swamped inside the final 100 metres by noted wet tracker Iresine ($4.30).

Iresine won by 1.25 lengths with Bubble Gift edging out Verry Elleegant for second on the line with a head separating the pair at the finish as Verry Elleegant ran her final 1000 metres in 1:00.81 and last 600 metres in 35.01 seconds.

“She has changed a lot since Deauville,” Verry Elleegant’s trainer Francis Graffard said, with the seven-year-old mare looking healthier in condition compared to her last-placed effort in the €250,000 Group 1 Darley Prix Jean Romanet (2000m) on August 21.

“Today, she was well on the pace of the race even though there weren't many of them.

“Christophe (Soumillon) said that she was a bit lost on the descent, she changed her lead leg a lot, she was discovering Longchamp, that's normal.

“She showed some will in the straight but could not accelerate and really tried hard. It’s a good second start in France.”

The daughter of Zed’s placing in the Prix Foy will be enough to quell any calls for retirement, which emerged following the Romanet, but may not be enough to warrant connections paying the €120,000 (A$180,000) late entry fee for the Arc by the September 28 deadline.

“We will all discuss it together,” Graffard said.

“She is in the Royallieu and she would certainly like the distance, but we are not closing the door to the Arc.”

The €300,000 G1 Qatar Prix de Royallieu (2800m) for fillies and mares is held at Longchamp on October 1, the day before Europe’s premier race, the €5 million G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m).

Empire to return West

Leading Western Australian owner Bob Peters will be bringing home Western Empire along with stablemates Regal Power and Stageman after the Danny O’Brien-trained trio failed to fire at Flemington on Saturday.

“The way they are running, I thought they were entitled to improve on their first starts over there but they went backwards,” Peters told The West Australian.

“We’ll get them back to the farm and have a look at them but they were disappointing. The only decision I’ve made with them is that they are flying home early next week.”

The winner of last year’s Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1600m) for Grant and Alana Williams, Western Empire finished fifth of eight in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), more than six lengths from the winner I’m Thunderstruck.

By former Haunui Farm shuttle stallion Iffraaj, Western Empire is out of Gr.2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner Western Jewel (Jeune), whom Peters raced.