Nature Strip at Flemington 2020
Ten years ago unbeaten mare Black Caviar won her second Lightning Stakes. She would win it again in 2013 when the race was renamed in her honour to the Black Caviar Lightning.
Last year due to Covid restrictions the general public were not permitted to attend the meeting, so I missed seeing Nature Strip, under the guidance of top female jockey, Jamie Ka, win the race.
Jamie Ka will be riding Nature Strip tomorrow, his regular jockey James McDonald opting to ride three year old Home Affairs in the race.
The 2022 Black Caviar Lightning is being touted as the best ever edition of the race owing to the field of nine top sprinters all kicking off their autumn season at the same time. My heart will be with the beautiful Nature Strip, but he faces stiff competition from regular rivals such as Eduardo, Masked Crusader and Gytrash. Throw in wild cards like The Inferno and three year old speedsters Home Affairs and Profiteer and you’ve got a thriller of a race.
I’m glad that I will be at Flemington tomorrow to witness the event.
It has been almost a year since I was last at Flemington, so I’m looking forward to getting back to the big track for first class racing action again.
Happily the weather is forecast to be mostly sunny and a pleasant 24°C with light winds.
As well as the Black Caviar Lightning there are two Group 3 races, these being the Vanity Stakes for three year old fillies and the C S Hayes Stakes for three year old colts and geldings.
I intend to arrive at Flemington in time to watch the two year old babies contest the Listed Talindert Stakes.
Unlike last week it won’t be an overlong afternoon at the races, the Black Caviar Lightning being scheduled as Race 7 and run at 4.25 pm, which gives me plenty of time to catch the first train back to the city at 4.51pm.
Happy Retirement Probabeel!
Probabeel at Caulfield 2021 on her way to winning the Group 1 Futurity Stakes
The disappointing news this week was that wonderful New Zealand mare Probabeel has run her last race and has been retired after suffering a suspensory ligament injury.
She was a grand race mare who raced in top company and won four Group 1 races, beating first class fields.
I’m glad I got to see her win her final race last week, but she will be missed as she always added a bit of class to any race day where she was set to run.
We can always look forward to seeing her progeny racing a few years hence.
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