Nature Strip Second in Equimillion Warm Up at Waratah World Cup

Tara Madgwick - Sunday August 18

The Waratah Showjumping World Cup event in Sydney over the past four days concluded on Sunday at Sydney International Equestrian Centre with the Equimillion New Stars warm up class producing some encouraging efforts and two time Australian Horse of the Year Nature Strip finished in the placings for his new owner and rider Kathy O’Hara.

The class was run to ‘perfect time’ which means it’s not the fastest that wins, but rather the horse with the least faults that can complete the course in what is seen as the ideal time.

Nature Strip and Kathy O'Hara finished in second place.

Nature Strip had just the one fence down and was very nearly perfect on the time, while the winner Cigar Bar (NZ), a five year-old gelding by Savabeel ridden by Alisa Moir was the only clear round.

Alisa Moir and Cigar Bar were the winners.

The class is restricted to horses that have retired in the previous 12 months, so it’s actually a pretty quick turnaround for horses to transition from the racetrack to being able to negotiate a course of jumps and deal with the atmosphere of a big show.

Advertisement

The winner is a Kiwi bred gelding from the famed Waikato Stud and is by their champion sire Savabeel from Group II placed Lady Tatia, who comes from the family of Australian Group I winners Shogun Lodge, Referral, Singing the Blues and last season’s Queensland Oaks winner Socks Nation.

Cigar Bar has a full sister called Belle of the Ball, who won several races and was also Group placed, but his level of racing ability didn’t quite match hers. He had 14 starts in NSW and Victoria for one win at Mendooran and was retired from racing in January this year.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Rewarding Weekend for Waikato Stud
A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale (November 12 and 13) is online with breeze up video now in place and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Sires With Winners - Monday October 27
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..
First Winner for King of Comedy
Novara Park Stud stallion King Of Comedy (IRE) is on the board as a sire, with his son Sir Ruby becoming his first winner when victorious over 1300m at Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia on Sunday.
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.