The mouth-watering clash between Incentivise and Verry Elleegant is set to take place in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington.
Verry Elleegant was also an acceptor for the Group 2 Hill (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday, but the nine-time Group 1 winner has already been scratched from that contest.
Instead, the mare will travel to Melbourne on Wednesday night to contest the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, a race she won last year on her way to winning the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) two weeks later.
The Caulfield Cup is not on Verry Elleegant’s agenda this year with the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 23 the mare’s main target.
Chris Waller Racing posted on social media around 90 minutes after final fields were released for Flemington that Verry Elleegant was Melbourne bound.
“We have decided that Verry Elleegant will run at Flemington on Saturday in the Turnbull Stakes giving her the chance to settle in, and Damian Lane the chance to ride her ahead of the Cox Plate,” Chris Waller Racing tweeted.
With regular rider James McDonald electing to ride Zaaki in the 2021 Cox Plate, Lane was booked several weeks ago to partner the mare.
Verry Elleegant has been posted the $2.50 favourite with TAB ahead of Incentivise at $2.80 after the mare drew barrier five in the 10-horse field.
Incentivise is looking to extend his winning sequence to eight on Saturday after notching six on end in Queensland before winning the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 11 at his first start for Peter Moody.