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| Rowan Anderson |
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Nine Group Ones and amassing over AUD $20 million.
It’s insane to think that the great Nature Strip was passed in for $90,000 at sale in 2016.
He has this week been named the World’s Champion Sprinter for the second year running in what has become a common occurrence for the Chris Waller trained star.
The 8YO gelded son of Nicconi and Strikeline won the richest turf race in the world, The Everest in 2021, raising himself to a whole other level of turf stars.
This was after he had already won six Group One’s over his career.
Winning on debut as a 3YO over 1000m at Mornington on October 17, 2017 he was beaten at his next and first metropolitan start but won the next three races he contested showing his ability early on.
In 2019 he would be removed from Darren Weir’s stables and transferred to be trained under Chris Waller, signalling the start of bigger and better things to come for him as he entered his 4YO season.
In his first start with Waller he would be an impressive winner in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes over before failing at Group One level and earning a reputation as one to be warned about backing.
He broke through for his maiden Group 1 victory at his next start in March 2019, narrowly holding on to win the 1100m Galaxy before a brief spell.
As a 5YO season he was beginning to be described as "the most polarizing horse in Australia" after being selected for his inaugural attempt at The Everest in 2019, finishing fourth after being marched out as a $26 chance. As he had begun to trademark he would win his third Group 1 race for the year three weeks later, triumphing easily in the Darley Sprint Classic at Flemington.
In 2020 he would win the Group Two Challenge Stakes, his fourth Group 1 victory in the TJ Smith Stakes being named Victorian Racehorse of the Year and Australian Horse of the Year for the year 2019/20.
His rating would rise to 124 as a 6YO in 2020/2021 making him the equal 10th best racehorse in the world. That year he would win his fifth Group 1 race when successful in the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington, with emerging star Jamie Kah riding before winning his second consecutive TJ 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.
Noticeably more mature he would return fresh following a spell as a 7YO in the 2021/22 winning the Concorde Stakes at his third attempt before he 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.
His spring campaign that year was arguably his best winning the Darley Sprint Classic with talks of a trip to Royal Ascot growing.
The following year he would take a third straight TJ Smith Stakes before making the overseas trip to comfortably win the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He was again voted Australian Horse of the Year and Sprinter of the Year for 2021-2022, winning the awards for the second and third time respectively.
Trainer Chris Waller is the star’s biggest fan as he has said openly.
"Nature Strip has just got better and better," he said.
"He is learning about his racing, enjoying his racing, and that was the difference between the horse from his early days. He used to try and get things done in a hurry all the time. But then he realised he could sit off them and still beat his rivals. It's has been a privilege to be a part of this horse."