Nature Strip (horse)

Nature Strip (foaled 16 November 2014) is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2019/2020 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year, a seven-time Group 1 winner, and the winner of The Everest in 2021, the richest turf race in the world.

Background[]

Nature Strip was passed in for $90,000 at a yearling sale, however was later sold to a group of Melbourne owners for $100,000.^[2]

Racing career[]

Nature Strip, trained initially by Robert Smerdon, won on debut as a 3-year-old, in a 1000m maiden at Mornington on October 17, 2017. He was beaten at his next and first metropolitan start but won the next three races he contested including the Inglis Dash over 1100m at Flemington in January, 2018. Robert Hickmott was in temporary charge due to Smerdon being suspended, but by the time of his next start, John Sadler (part of Smerdon's Aquanita group) had taken charge of Nature Strip. The horse was beaten at his two autumn 2018 starts, including the Group 2 Euclase Stakes in Adelaide. Nature Strip pulled up poorly after the race. Following those failures, the owners transferred Nature Strip to Darren Weir's stables, mainly due to the scandal engulfing the Aquanita organisation.^[3]

Nature Strip proceeded to win his first four starts under Weir through winter and early spring 2018, including an impressive six-length win over Group 1 winner Sunlight in Adelaide. This was followed by his first group win, the Group 2 WFA McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley on Sept. 8, 2018, where he also broke the 1000m track record. Nature Strip was selected as the ATC's representative in the 2018 Everest at this stage. Three weeks later Nature Strip was the $1.75 favourite in his first Group 1 start, the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley, but finished a disappointing eighth after being forced to race wide. The ATC removed Nature Strip from their Everest slot and the horse went for a spell.

In January 2019, Weir was arrested following a police raid on his Ballarat stables, principally over the use of 'jiggers' in training.^[4] Weir was subsequently disqualified and his horses were quickly transferred to other stables, with Nature Strip joining Sydney-based Chris Waller. Nature Strip was an impressive winner in his first start under Waller, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield in Melbourne on Feb 9, 2019. A fortnight later Nature Strip again failed at Group 1 level, fading badly to finish 10th in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield after starting the $2:30 favourite.^[5] Nature Strip was developing a reputation amongst some racing followers as an over-rated horse.^[6]

Nature Strip broke through for his maiden Group 1 victory at his next start in March 2019, narrowly holding on to win the 1100m Galaxy at Rosehill in Sydney, a race that his father, Nicconi won in 2009. Nature Strip went for a brief spell before tackling the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in Queensland in May 2019. Again starting a short-priced favourite, he finished fourth with a wide draw and the use of ear-muffs proffered as excuses.^[7] In his next start Nature Strip struggled after over-racing in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes at Randwick, but bounced back to win the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley following his loss a year earlier.^[8] Nature Strip was described as "the most polarizing horse in Australia" when selected for his inaugural attempt at The Everest in 2019.^[9] In the event Nature Strip, a $26 chance, finished fourth after leading but being overtaken with 100m remaining. In true enigmatic style, Nature Strip won his third Group 1 race for the year three weeks later, triumphing easily in the Darley Sprint Classic at Flemington. It was also his first win over 1200m.

Opening his 2020 campaign in February, Nature Strip finished fourth as the $1.45 favourite in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes over 1000m at Flemington. Waller said the horse was "too fresh" and would improve from the run.^[10] Duly, Nature Strip went on to win the G2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick at his next start, followed by his fourth Group 1 victory when successful at $3.80 in the TJ Smith Stakes.^[11] He was then given a spell prior to building towards the 2020 Everest. In August 2020, Nature Strip was named Victorian Racehorse of the Year.^[12] He was also voted the Australian Horse of the Year for the year 2019/20.^[13]

Returning in spring 2020, Nature Strip as $1.40 favourite was run down late by Gytrash to finish second in the Concorde Stakes. He then played up at consecutive barrier trials ^[14] before being beaten in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes and finishing fourth in the Everest. Nature Strip completed the year with a second place finish in the Darley Classic. Nevertheless, in the 2020 World's Best Racehorse Rankings, Nature Strip was rated on 124, making him the equal 10th best racehorse in the world.^[15]

On 13 February 2021, Nature Strip returned to win his fifth Group 1 race when successful in the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington, with emerging star Jamie Kah riding.^[16] In April, Nature Strip won back-to-back T J Smith Stakes taking his Group 1 tally to six and turning the tables on Eduardo, who'd beaten him in the Challenge Stakes a fortnight earlier. Jockey James McDonald claimed after the race "I can safely say WBS (World’s Best Sprinter) for him.".^[17] Nature Strip was again spelled ahead of a spring campaign targeting the Everest. He returned to win the Concorde Stakes at the third attempt on September 4, 2021, as the $1.50 favourite.^[18] On October 16, 2021 Nature Strip finally broke through to win the Everest at his third attempt, leading nearly all the way to triumph as the $3.30 favourite to claim the AUD$6.2 million first prize. The horse completed his best spring campaign by winning the Darley Sprint Classic during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, his second win in the race making it seven Group 1 victories and three in the 2021 calendar year. There was talk of Nature Strip travelling overseas to compete at Royal Ascot in 2022.^[19]

References[]