What we want to see: Verry Elleegant in Europe

THE caveat here is she needs to be at her best. If so, let’s go! It never worked out for Winx, and mares can’t achieve that enormous value boost that colts can.

A shout-out here to Choisir, the trailblazer who forged a new path for Australian-bred horses, making a ‘motza’ for Paul Perry and his crew, who died this autumn. Vale Choisir.

It’s also time Chris Waller tested himself on the world stage after blitzing it in Australia for the past 10 years.

Verry Elleegant, this year’s Melbourne Cup winner adding to her Caulfield Cup of 2020, is a rare commodity, she just seems more adaptable the more she matures.

Wet or dry, over ground or back in distance, she can’t prove any more in Australia, and what a fitting swansong Europe could be before being covered in the northern hemisphere.

As a sidebar, Waller may also be able to introduce James McDonald further on to the world stage, the 29-year-old is ripe for the challenge.

“If they go overseas and Chris wants to put me on, I would like the opportunity to ride them,” said McDonald this month.

NO more ‘skimpflation’!

As much as a day at the races involves crowds and queues, let’s end the ‘skimpflation’.

The clock is always ticking at the races and memberships and entry fees aren’t heading south anytime soon, so that feeling of paying for the same services but they somewhat suck compared with what they used to be is ‘skimpflation’.

Clubs please make sure your race meetings are resourced properly with efficient staff, the patrons will be delighted.