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Exciting filly Verry Elleegant may lack close black type relations but her pedigree suggests she will not be troubled by the distance when she takes on the VRC Oaks over 2500m at Flemington on November 8.

The former Kiwi filly, now trained in Victoria by Darren Weir, is by the Zabeel stallion Zed from the Danroad mare Opulence.

Having just her second start for Weir, Verry Elleegant recorded her first stakes win in the G3 Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 20 to become the tenth stakes winner by the NZ-based sire Zed.

Standing at Grangewilliam Stud, Zed is a son of Zabeel from the G1 winning Danehill mare Emerald Dream. He recorded one win in only four starts in NZ before an early retirement when he was favoured for the NZ Derby.

Originally standing at Little Avondale Stud in Masterton, Zed served 168 mares in 2013 after missing the 2012 season through a hiatus in the South Island at Erewhon Station where he was used to breed Clydesdales.

He has since become a notable sire, his progeny including the G1 winner Survived, and has rocketed up the NZ sires table from 21st at the end of last season to be in second place this term behind Savabeel with 17 winners of 22 races.

Zed’s sire Zabeel needs no introduction as a source of classic winners but Verry Elleegant is the only stakes winner under her first two dams.

However her third dam Chalet Girl (Imposing) is an unraced half-sister to five-time G1 winner Danewin (Danehill) and champion sire Commands (Danehill) from the great Eight Carat family.

This matches well with Zed as his third dam is the noted mare Cotehele House, a daughter of Eight Carat

Opulence, who has a two-year-old colt by Haradasun and is due to foal to Zed this year after missing to him in 2016, was purchased by Kiwi trainer Nick Bishara for only $5000 as a yearling at the New Zealand Bloodstock Autumn Mixed Sale in 2007.

Once she finished racing after two wins she was sold at Karaka to Don Goodwin, a shareholder in Zed and like Bishara had also been attracted by the Eight Carat factor in the mare’s pedigree.

Bishara struck up a friendship with Goodwin and when the mare produced her first Zed foal, a colt named Verry Flash, they formed a partnership to race him.

When his little sister Verry Elleegant came along Bishara organised several friends to race the filly on lease with Goodwin.

After impressive wins in two of her first three starts an offer saw Bishara and partners retain 25 percent ownership before she was transferred to Weir.

Verry Elleegant has now had five starts for three wins and two placings, earning $123,969.