Black Caviar Lightning: Jamie Kah steers Nature Strip to Group 1 glory at Flemington
Nature Strip endured a tough spring but Jamie Kah’s touch helped the star sprinter start his autumn campaign with another Group 1 win at Flemington.
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Mixing the brilliance of jockey Jamie Kah and the magic of trainer Chris Waller took Nature Strip back to the top of the sprinting ranks in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington.
Nature Strip was voted the 2019/20 Australian Racehorse of the Year last year but nothing went right for the exciting sprinter last spring.
His best result last time in was a well-held second to Bivouac in the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington last November.
Enter Jamie Kah.
.@jamieleekah07 and Nature Strip have done it!
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 13, 2021
The Group 1 Lightning Stakes is all yours. âš¡ï¸@cwallerracing @FlemingtonVRC pic.twitter.com/n3yOhlWLn9
Kah had her first sit on Nature Strip in a jumpout last Friday but quickly summed up the quirky galloper in that hitout, developing an understanding of the powerful gelding’s traits.
“He was in a good mood. He was in a good mood when I trialled him. I think he’s just getting better with age,” Kah said.
“The team has done an amazing job and I’m the lucky one to be on him.”
Kah was happy to sit quietly on Nature Strip early in the $750,000 sprint, letting dual Group 1 winner Pippie set a quick tempo for the first 600m, before getting busy on the gelding in the last 400m.
Nature Strip held his momentum to the line to hold off the fast-finishing September Run, who gave Waller a Lightning Stakes quinella ahead of fellow three-year-old filly Swats That.
“I just let him do whatever he wanted to do,” Kah said after notching her fourth Group 1 win.
“Pippie set a nice hot tempo and he actually relaxed and dropped the bit. They’re going to do that when they run that quick but it just set up beautifully for him.
“He wanted to drift in and roll in a bit late but I didn’t really care.
“I just let him do what he wanted to do.”
The $2.15 favourite Bivouac couldn’t go the early speed and was never a winning chance, finishing 2 ½ lengths from the winner in sixth.
"I'm a bit emotional, that was amazing." â¤ï¸
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 13, 2021
You deserve that one, @jamieleekah07. pic.twitter.com/KU5tQoMv3h
Bivouac’s jockey Glen Boss said the early speed sapped his mount’s normal finishing burst.
“He was good. A bit fresh and raced a bit closer than I thought and he’s probably a little bit too close to his top in the middle stages so he blew out,” Boss said.
“He’s a big colt now, a big heavy bugger so he’s going to take a lot out of that.”
Sadly, the TAB punter that had $50,000 on Bivouac won’t take much out of Bivouac’s Lightning Stakes run.
TAB cut September Run’s Newmarket Handicap quote from $5 to a clear $3.50 favourite while Swats That moved from $9 to $8 in betting on next month’s feature sprint.
Originally published as Black Caviar Lightning: Jamie Kah steers Nature Strip to Group 1 glory at Flemington
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