Nature Strip – the World’s Best Sprinter – realised his career-defining moment with a nail-biting victory in the $15m The Everest at Randwick.
The 7YO has long been hailed the best sprinter on the planet and had previously won his share of Australia’s best sprint races including two TJ Smith Stakes’, a Lightning Stakes, a VRC Sprint Classic, a Moir Stakes and a Galaxy, but The Everest had eluded him.
That was until today, when the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale superstar led all the way in a scintillating display of sustained speed to win the world’s richest race on turf.
In a thrilling finish, Nature Strip (Nicconi) held off fellow Premier Yearling Sale purchase Masked Crusader in an Inglis graduates quinella.
Nature Strip is trained by Chris Waller, whose slot he represented in today’s Everest.
“I’m quite emotional,’’ Waller said of Nature Strip, who was offered by his breeder Golden Grove Stud at the 2016 Premier Yearling Sale at Oaklands.
“It’s just such a great race, it’s captured the imagination of so many people inside and out.
“We didn’t panic, we just kept it pretty simple. We let him do the rest. We’re all so close to this horse, the staff and I, it’s just a great story and that’s what our team is about.
“He got the highest rated sprinter in the world tag for a reason and that gave us confidence and he’s absolutely justified it today.’’
Staggeringly, the win was the 18th of Nature Strip’s career and took his earnings to a mouth-watering $14.5m.
Nature Strip (pictured) will now head to Melbourne for the G1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington on the final day of Melbourne Cup Week, a race he won two years ago.
Earlier on today’s Randwick program, quality sprinter Big Parade (Deep Field) made it four wins from his past five starts when successful in the G3 Sydney Stakes.
The Sydney Stakes is generally known as the ‘Mini Everest’ and if Big Parade continues on his winning ways, he may well find himself in the main event on this day in 12 months’ time.
Today’s win took his overall record to 15:8.2.2 and $675,000 in earnings – his owner Steve Summers bought him for $160,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, where he was offered by his breeder Middlebrook Valley Lodge.
Big Parade is trained by Mark Newnham, who said: “He’s a really good, genuine horse now. If you look at his form, it’s his 10th run for me and his sixth win, he never runs badly.
“He hasn’t had a lot of racing, he’s developed a good deal of consistency, he goes on all types of ground and he can run time. He’s a ripper.’’
At Caulfield, the stunning surge of success of Inglis Ready2Race graduates continued when Gunstock (Tavistock) proved too strong in the G3 Neds Classic, a key Victoria Derby lead-up.
Such was the strength of the win, Gunstock firmed into a $6 second-favourite with TAB for the G1 Derby – to be run at Flemington in a fortnight – behind fellow Inglis Ready2Race star Forgot You at $4.
Both Gunstock and Forgot You were offered by Jamie Beatson’s Ohukia Lodge at last year’s sale at Riverside, with Gunstock purchased for $135,000 by David Mourad’s Import Racing.
“They were always both really nice horses but I’d be kidding if I said I genuinely thought at the sale last year that I had the two Derby favourites,’’ a proud Beatson said.
“Gunstock was always a Derby type, the Savabeel (Forgot You) was probably a bit sharper but his racing style certainly suggests he’ll run a Derby trip right out.’’
Ohukia will present a draft of six 2YOs at this month’s Ready2Race Sale, at Riverside on Tuesday October 26.
Among it is a Written Tycoon x Racy colt (lot 50) which won a barrier trial in New Zealand impressively on Thursday.
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Gunstock, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr, is bred by Cambridge Stud’s Brendan and Jo Lindsay and has now won two of his four starts.
He becomes the fourth Australian Stakes winner to graduate from the 2020 Inglis Ready2Race Sale, joining G2 winners Forgot You and Lightsaber and Stakes-winning 2YO See You In Spring.
And Extreme Flight (Extreme Choice) made it three successes in a row and a first Stakes victory with a tough win in the Listed Gothic Stakes at Caulfield.
It’s been a rapid rise through the ranks for Extreme Flight, who only won his maiden at Moe two starts back and is now a black type winner.
The 3YO colt, bred by Nielma Grant-Taylor, is a $340,000 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale buy for his trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman, from the draft of Sledmere Stud.
