Australia: Former horse of the year Nature Strip looks to get back on track

Nature Strip is 9, farther removed each day from his Horse of the Year seasons in Australia in 2019-2020 and 2021-2022.

Winless in four starts since last September, Nature Strip has not raced since he finished fourth in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in April.

A start in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes at five furlongs at Randwick on Friday evening will determine the direction of his career. A win would lead to an appearance in the $9.7 million Everest Stakes at Randwick on Oct. 14, a race he won in 2021. A loss could push the esteemed veteran closer to retirement.

Judging from early betting, Nature Strip is not leaving the track soon. As of Thursday, Nature Strip was a slight favorite at 2-1 in a field of 10 in the $647,900 Concorde Stakes.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing

The Concorde Stakes is the richest race on a 10-race program that begins at 9:45 p.m. Eastern or 6:45 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Trained by Chris Waller, Nature Strip has won 22 of 43 starts, including 10 of 19 races at five furlongs. A gelding, Nature Strip will be tested in the Concorde Stakes by In Secret and Eduardo.

In Secret, a 4-year-old filly, has won 6 of 10 starts, including two Group 1 races at six furlongs. This will be her five-furlong debut.

Eduardo, a 10-year-old gelding, has won 12 of 34 starts, including the 2022 Concorde Stakes when the race was worth $340,000. Eduardo is winless in five starts since the 2022 Concorde, but was beaten only a nose when second in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick in March.

The Randwick program includes the Group 2 Tramway Stakes at seven furlongs, which drew the multiple American stakes winner Going Global.

Previously trained in California by Phil D’Amato, Going Global is one of six runners in a field of 16 trained by Waller, whose team includes 3-2 favorite Olentia. Going Global was 16-1 in early betting on Thursday.

Mr Brightside leads Memsie

The veteran gelding Mr Brightside, who won has won his last three starts, will be a strong favorite to win his third Group 1 race in the $485,000 Memsie Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Friday evening.

Mr Brightside, trained by the brothers Ben, Will and J.D. Hayes, returned from a layoff of more than four months to win the Group 2 Lawrence Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Aug. 19, his 12th win in 24 career starts.

In March, Mr Brightside won the richest race of his career in the $3.32 million All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley, which is not a group stakes since the field is partially determined by a fan ballot.

The Memsie Stakes drew a field of 14 that includes I Wish I Win who beat Nature Strip in the T.J. Smith Stakes in April.

Princess Grace, a five-time graded stakes winner in the United States from 2020 to 2022, was a 7-1 outsider in early betting for the Memsie. Princess Grace was second by a neck in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on Aug. 19 in her first start since April and third race in Australia.

Will Hayes joined his brothers’ training operation earlier this year. Hayes, 28, played Australian Rules Football from 2019 to 2022.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.