Royal campaign looms as freak of Nature romps in
SPEED machine Nature Strip might finally have the chance to take his freakish talent abroad next year – potentially to Royal Ascot – after adding a second Darley Classic to his bulging big race CV.
Only three weeks after winning The Everest, the sevenyear-old chestnut took fewer than 69 seconds to show how tough he is when coasting away to Darley success.
James McDonald was told to ride him like it was a track gallop, and with Chris Waller down in Melbourne for the day and with his Melbourne-based owners finally able to see their horse run again, Nature Strip ($1.28F) cantered away to a 3¼-length victory from Swats That ($31), with Bella Nipotina ($14) filling out the placing.
Nature Strip will head for a well-deserved rest now, but Waller and senior part-owner Rod Lyons suggested a trip to Royal Ascot was “absolutely” on the agenda for next year.
Asked about the plans for 2022, the trainer said: “We will just go through the basics, give him a holiday, which is what he deserves, and find some nice races.
“Maybe (we might go) overseas if the owners are keen. We have planned it twice but Covid has put a stop to it, as Covid has put a stop to a lot of things.”
Speaking pre-race on RSN, Lyons said the plan was “absolutely” to head to Royal Ascot next year if the horse came back in good form and if Waller was keen for it to happen.
“Fingers crossed . . . it is over to Chris, he has got to come back in the early part of the autumn, but if he shows that form that warranted a trip to Royal Ascot, we’ll be going,” he said.
Nature Strip coasted down the Flemington straight with McDonald looking after him late.
In doing so he took his career prizemoney to more than $16m – third overall in Australasian history behind champion mare Winx ($26,451,174) and dual Everest winner Redzel ($16,444,000). Almost $8m of Nature Strip’s prizemoney has come in his past two starts.