Nature Strip on Fire in TJ Smith Stakes

Mark Smith - Saturday April 4

A world-class field of sprinters lined up for Saturday’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick and the fleet-footed Nicconi gelding Nature Strip saw them all off in style.

Nature Strip - image Steve Hart

“Allowed to stride along by James McDonald, Nature Strip had them off the bit on the turn and he was untroubled to defeat Santa Ana Lane (Lope de Vega) by two lengths with Redzel (Snitzel) a head back in third.

A first in the race for McDonald and trainer Chris Waller, it was the fourth Group 1 for the strikingly handsome 5yo chestnut gelding whose form advances to 14 wins and 2 seconds from 23 starts with earnings of $5,144,035.

@The first furlong with him is key but he is getting better and better and it’s a joy to be associated with him,’’ McDonald said.

“Originally, I thought there would be someone there to pressure me a little bit. I could see them coming across.

‘’Nature Strip was waiting for me to click him up, he went through his gears really well. From about the 800m I felt like he was airborne from there and he was high steaming from the top of the straight.

“I knew he was going to be vulnerable late but it was just a matter of getting enough out of him towards the end. He is just going so well.”

Advertisement

Waller said he would be keen to stretch out the distances a it6 but does not see that happening any time soon.

"We'd be very tempted but do we need to? I'd say there'd be plenty of people chasing him in the Everest and that's a big race," Waller said.

"So, wow, what a great horse and we've got a lot to look forward to."

Passed in at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Golden Grove Stud, Nature Strip is a half-brother to stakes-winner The Barrister from Group III winning Desert Sun (GB) mare Strikeline, a $500,000 earner who was a 6-time winner including the Group III Ian McEwen Trophy at Moonee Valley, which is the same race in which her son set the track record.

After missing to Savabeel in 2018, Strikeline was covered by Savabeel’s son Addictive Nature on a January 28, 2020 cover.

Advertisment

Race Result - Tab T J Smith Stakes Gr1 1200m

Randwick Track: Heavy(8) Time: 1:11.18
1
Nature Strip
- 5g Nicconi (AUS) x Strikeline (AUS) (Desert Sun (GB))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58.5
Nicconi
2
2.0
Santa Ana Lane
- 7g Lope De Vega (IRE) x Fast Fleet (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Anthony Freedman Rdr: Tim Clark 58.5
3
2.2
Redzel
- 7g Snitzel (AUS) x Millrich (AUS) (Rubiton (AUS))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: K Mc Evoy 58.5
4
2.4
Pierata
- 5h Pierro (AUS) x November Flight (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: G D Hickman Rdr: Tommy Berry 58.5
5
3.0
Tofane
- 4m Ocean Park (NZ) x Baggy Green (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: O P Bosson 56.5
6
3.4
Bivouac
- 3c Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Dazzler (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J Bowman 56.5
7
5.1
Trekking
- 5g Street Cry (IRE) x Outdoor (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J Parr 58.5
8
5.4
In Her Time
- 7m Time Thief (AUS) x Hell It's Hot (AUS) (Zeditave (AUS))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: B Avdulla 56.5
9
5.6
Exceedance
- 3c Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Bonnie Mac (NZ) (Thorn Park (AUS))
Tnr: M, W & J Hawkes Rdr: S Clipperton 56.5
10
5.9
White Moss
- 6m Mossman (AUS) x Pay My Bail (NZ) (Justice Prevails (AUS))
Tnr: J C Coyle Rdr: Ms K O'Hara 56.5
11
11.6
Loving Gaby
- 3f I Am Invincible (AUS) x Maastricht (NZ) (Mastercraftsman (IRE))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: G Boss 54.5
12
18.3
Vegadaze
- 4g Lope De Vega (IRE) x Rainy Daze (AUS) (Commands (AUS))
Tnr: A J Cummings Rdr: A Hyeronimus 58.5
More Reading...
Nature Strip Returns a Winner
Nature Strip showed he had taken no harm from his Royal Ascot heroics when winning the $1million Group 1 The Shorts at Randwick on Saturday.
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.
Sweet Redemption for Stable Favourite Jimmy the Bear
Patrick and Michelle Payne enjoyed a red letter day at Flemington on Saturday with their rising star Buccleuch winning the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final and then later in the day stable favourite Jimmy the Bear won the Listed VRC Winter Championship Series Final (1600m).
Marble Nine Brings Up Second Stakes Winner For Aquis’ Kobayashi
The withdrawal of the top weight in Saturday’s $175,000 Listed VRC Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington saw the field down to just six, with Marble Nine continuing his outstanding recent form to secure his first black type victory.
Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz Wins A.R. Creswick Stakes
While many felt the winner of Saturday’s Listed $175,000 VRC A.R. Creswick Stakes (1200m) had raced two weeks prior in the Shop Flemington Handicap (1100m) – and they would’ve been correct – but it was not the result many punters felt it would be!
Invincible 2YO Colt wins for Bennett Racing
The $150,000 VRC Next Gen Sprinters Series Final (1200m) for two year-olds at Flemington on Saturday drew a competitive field of progressive juveniles and the colt that stood out on type in the yard was the one that got the cash with I Am Invincible colt Jimmy Recard proving too good for race favourite Bacash.
Spring Potential for Darby Racing's Raging Force
Unplaced in the Group III ATC Breeders’ Plate last spring on debut, Raging Force came out of that race with an injury that required significant time on the sidelines, but since returning to full work his progress has been swift.
Buccleuch - First Stakes-Winner for Peltzer
The $175,000 Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday was won back in 2020 by Cherry Tortoni, who went to on to become a multiple Group winner of nearly $1million and the same colours were carried by this year’s winner Buccleuch.
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
Pride’s Outsider Estadio Mestalla Wins Winter Stakes
The lone stakes race on Rosehill’s ten-race card on Saturday saw Joe Pride’s race outsider Estadio Mestalla (Galileo Gold) take out the $200,000 Listed ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) in a boilover.