Champion sprinter Nature Strip set to return to work

Posted by RS NewsWire at 9:16am on July 4th

Champion sprinter Nature Strip is set to make his return to Chris Waller’s Rosehill stables for his final preparations ahead of the Spring Carnival.

Nature Strip, with career earnings surpassing $20 million, hasn’t raced since his fourth-place finish in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick in April.

The early plan for Nature Strip involves a first-up run in the G3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 2, followed by an attempt to defend his title in The Shorts (1100m) two weeks later.

The ultimate campaign will be mapped out by trainer Chris Waller based on Nature Strip’s performance and well-being.

Following his outstanding victory in the G1 King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022, where he won by an impressive 4.5 lengths, Nature Strip received an international rating of 126, placing him on par with Japanese star Equinox as the country’s third-best horse by the end of the year.

— Chris Waller Racing (@cwallerracing) July 3, 2023

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