Deal done for share in Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant

After initially being passed in, a share in Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant has been snapped up by one of the existing owners.

A 12.5 per cent share in the 11-time Group 1 winner was offered online via Gavelhouse for almost a week, but was passed in after the final bid of NZ$350,000 (£181,000/€209,000) did not meet the reserve.

Tim Barry, the part-owner who offered the share, later came to an agreement with one of his co-owners to offload his share in the seven-year-old daughter of Zed.

"We are pleased to announce that a deal has been done this morning, with the 12.5 per cent share in Verry Elleegant selling to an existing part-owner for an undisclosed amount," Gavelhouse said via social media on Tuesday.

The NZ$350,000 bid valued Verry Elleegant, who won 16 of her 40 starts including the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup, at NZ$2.8 million.

That is slightly less than the A$2.7m that was paid for Not A Single Doubt mare Shout The Bar at this year's Inglis Chairman's Sale and fractionally more than the A$2.4m realised by Zoustar's daughter Madam Rouge at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Snitzel mare Away Game and four-time Group 1 winner Tofane sold for A$4m and A$3.1m respectively at this year's National Sale, while the most expensive mare sold at auction in Australia was Danehill mare Milanova, who went for A$5m at Inglis in 2008.

Verry Elleegant was retired after finishing ninth in the Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October, which was the fourth start of a winless European campaign.

She remains in Europe, where she is expected to be covered by Sea The Stars in February, before a decision is made on whether she returns home or foals down and is served again next year before her return.

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