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| Sumita Pawar |
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The champion sprinter, Nature Strip, is ready to return to Chris Waller's Rosehill stables to finalize his preparations for the upcoming Spring Carnival.
Having earned over A$20 million throughout his career, Nature Strip hasn't competed since finishing fourth in the Gr.1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick in April.
The Road To Championship Retention
Nature Strip's initial strategy includes participating in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick as his first race, followed by an endeavour to retain his championship in The Shorts after two weeks as Waller prepares Nature Strip for his fifth crack at Everest.
Waller's chestnut champion has contested The Everest in four successive years for a fourth behind Yes Yes Yes in 2019, a seventh placing to Classique Legend in 2020, a brilliant win in 2021 then his fourth to Giga Kick last year.
Nature Strip was also selected for the 2018 Everest but lost form during spring and was withdrawn from the race.
Waller revealed Nature Strip returns to training later next week re-energised after the longest spell the gelding has enjoyed in nearly four years.
Waller said although Nature Strip "looks a bit woolly in the coat" the gelding has been enjoying his extended spell.
"It's the first time he has had longer than a three-week spell since I've been training the horse.
"He's had a proper eight-week break and I feel that will work wonders for him.
"I think he will be a horse that really jumps out of the ground when he returns to training," he said.
Managing part-owner Rod Lyons said connections were open to the thought of (Nature Strip’s) retirement if Waller does not feel the horse can return to his best form.
“We’ll talk about it as a group,” Lyons said on Nature Strip’s future. “We all get older; we all get slower, and some of us even get fatter.
“If Chris decides that’s it, that’s it. We’ll go along with what he says.
“We don’t want to see him race like that. We want to remember him for what he was and not see him run like that, so if Chris says its time, it’s time.
However, Waller will carefully plan Nature Strip's autumn campaign based on his performance and well-being with thoughts of retirement being pushed to the side for the moment.
After dominating the Gr.1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022 with a remarkable 4.5-length victory, Nature Strip was awarded an international rating of 126, placing him alongside Japanese horse Equinox as Australia's third-best horse by the conclusion of the year.