Melbourne Cup winning racehorse Verry Elleegant has died due to birthing complications.
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Horse trainer Chris Waller announced the "incredibly sad" news on behalf of the owners on February 19 in a social media statement.
"Verry Elleegant has passed away due to complications giving birth to her foal," he said.
"She was in fantastic hands on a farm who did all they could for her, and we would like to thank them for their efforts which we will be forever grateful for.
"We all saw the courage she had on the racetrack over many seasons, and she will never be forgotten by those close to her as well as the wider racing public who followed her career and loved her so much."
Mr Waller said stable staff and other close connections were coming to terms with the "tragic news".
The retired racehorse was at a farm in Ireland to give birth and the foal also died in the ordeal, part-owner Brae Sokolski said.
"She really did feel like part of the family," he told SEN 1116 radio.
"I was so looking forward to not just this foal but the generations ahead, her progeny and that legacy you get from breeding with a champion.
"Unfortunately that's all lost and now all we have is memories of her as a racehorse."
Verry Elleegant was the first mare since Makybe Diva in 2005 to win the Melbourne Cup when she raced to a four-length victory in 2021.
It came a year after the mare claimed the 2020 Caulfield Cup.
The elite racehorse was born in New Zealand and trained in Australia, winning 11 Group One races, before being retired in 2022.
