Imperatriz all the rage in Lightning Stakes betting as punters rate I Am Unstoppable her biggest danger
Punters are throwing their weight behind star Kiwi mare Imperatriz in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes although there has been strong interest in a rival runner.
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Electric mare Imperatriz is all the rage to join an esteemed Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) honour roll on Saturday.
The eight-time Group 1 winner has been the subject of a sustained wagering drive in recent days and is responsible for 58 per cent of all TAB outlays on the famous Flemington sprint.
Incomparable Black Caviar made the Lightning Stakes her own with three straight 2011-13 successes.
Past winners include Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007), Chautauqua (2016) and Nature Strip (2021).
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Imperatriz opened $1.80 midweek with TAB and nudged $1.95 before punters swooped on the price with multiple $2000 bets at $1.90 and $1.85 quotes.
Imperatriz, who won eight of nine starts last year including six at the highest level, remained a firm $1.80 favourite on Friday.
The five-year-old has a perfect record at 1000m – two for two at The Valley last spring – including a breathtaking first-up performance in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes.
Her experience down the straight at the end of a coming-of-age campaign, winning the Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington, should only hold the Te Akau Racing champion in good stead.
Group 1 colt-in-waiting I Am Unstoppable ($7) has attracted a sprinkling of support in recent days to overtake Private Eye ($5) as the second-best backed horse in the Lightning Stakes.
I Am Unstoppable holds 18 per cent of TAB outlays on the race from Private Eye at 15 per cent.
Godolphin colt Cylinder ($11) has been specked at double-figure odds.
Cylinder shaded The Astrologist ($34) in a three-horse 800m jumpout at Flemington last Friday, with Espiona ($18) ridden quietly behind the leading pair.
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Bella Nipotina ($7.50) is set to exceed $8m in career prizemoney on Saturday, going into the Lightning with $7,999,125 in the bank.
The consistent mare, 23rd on the all-time Australian racehorse rich list, could climb as high as 19th on Saturday with the $600,000 first prize.
Bella Nipotina, the fifth most profitable Australian mare behind Winx ($26.4m), Verry Elleegant ($14.8m), Makybe Diva ($14.5m) and Sunline ($11.3m), placed third in the Lightning last year.
Owner-breeder Michael Christian lauded the “incredible” mare.
“We’re just incredibly grateful, humbled and in awe of her, been so fortunate to be on this incredible journey,” Christian said.
“The irony is when she started racing as a two-year-old we thought we better maximise this because she’s not going to train on, she hasn’t got the scope to train on as a three-year-old.
“My God, not only has she done that she’s still going strong at six.”
Bella Nipotina snared $3.6m prizemoney – including a $2m bonus – for winning the Giga Kick Stakes (1300m) last November in Sydney.
She finished fourth behind Imperatriz seven days later in the Champions Sprint at Flemington.
Astrologist back to ‘normal self’ after arduous year
The Astrologist of old has buoyed trainer Troy Corstens going into the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
Despite a concession the seven-year-old would find the young rivals too sharp over 1000m, the Lightning is a springboard to the Newmarket Handicap and a return to Dubai.
“They will run him off his feet in the Lightning, we’re under no illusions they’re going to be too sharp for him but we just want to see him run well and have a good race,” Corstens said.
“He’s changed in the coat, he’s really sparked up for the last two weeks.
“If he runs well on Saturday then we’ll run in the Newmarket and all being well back to Dubai.
“He’s got to show us he’s back on track … it’s taken him all this time to settle back in and get back to the ‘normal’ Astro and I think he’s back to the normal Astro at the moment.
“The proof is going to be in the pudding obviously, but we think we’ve got him back to normal self.”
The Astrologist was runner-up in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai last year before a solid three-start European campaign, including second a Group 3 at Haydock.
He returned to Melbourne last spring but took a long time to reacclimatise.
The Astrologist disappointed second-up in the Group 3 Standish Handicap when he led and dropped out of contention meekly to run fifth of seven, beaten six lengths.
But he impressed in an 800m jumpout at Flemington last Friday, shaded on the line by crack Godolphin colt Cylinder. The pair matched motors the last 400m.
Corstens, who trains in partnership with father Leon, has three runners earlier on the Flemington card including Aardvark ($5.50) and Bittercreek ($15) in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m).
Aardvark finished third on debut last October behind the smart Coleman, the equal favourite for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes next Saturday at Caulfield.
“Aardvark pulled up shin sore after the Debutant (Stakes) back in the spring so it was probably an even better run than we thought,” Corstens said.
“He’s been down the (Flemington) straight twice (in jumpouts) and he should really enjoy it, I’m confident he’ll run very well.”
Bittercreek, a classy colt in his own right, is likely to find the 1100m too short on Saturday.
“Whatever he does this prep he will improve ten-fold on but he’s a lovely horse at the moment,” Corstens said.
Originally published as Imperatriz all the rage in Lightning Stakes betting as punters rate I Am Unstoppable her biggest danger
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