It’s no secret that Australian horses are bred for speed and sprint races are where the majority of the prize money lies within our local races. This has led to Australia becoming a more dominant sprinting nation in terms of local talent as outlined by Nature Strip’s dominant win in the King Stand stakes during the Royal Ascot carnival in 2022.
After two upset defeats in both the Everest and the Champions Sprint during the Spring, the career of the big boy Nature Strip is seemingly coming to a close sooner rather than later, marking the beginning of a new age of Australian sprinters. Below we are going to rank the 5 most promising or most likely horses to take the throne from the Waller-trained gelding as the best sprinter in the country, and even the world.
Honourable Mentions
I Am Me
Perhaps a little ambitious put this lightly raced mare on the list but she has come into her own this preparation and has been one of the finds of the summer winning 4/4 this time in, breaking the 1200m track record at Canterbury in the process. Only has had the 12 career starts and hasn’t been tested at the top level as of yet, but has the Maher and Eustace polish and will no doubt be contesting group class races in the near future.
Jacquinot
Been contesting races of the highest class since its debut running in 4 group ones plus the Everest in only 8 starts. He Flew home in the golden rose over 1400 then came back to 1200 metres in the Everest and was a little unlucky not to finish closer to the winner. Will be interesting to see whether the Price and Kent team keep him to the sprint trips or want to stretch him out further even up to the mile.
5. Mazu
Mazu has become a different horse since the gelding operation and has since won 5 races. He has also run into the money on three other occasions, including a third in what is considered the biggest sprint race in the world, the TAB Everest, in just 9 starts since the operation. He was immediately a different horse after the gelding with those 5 wins all being on the trot and all on soft or heavy tracks, culminating in his first group one victory in the Doomben 10,000.
After that preparation he was earmarked as more of a wet track horse however this spring he showed he can be competitive on any surface. Despite not winning a race he was ultra-competitive at the highest level running second to lost and running in the Premiere then getting a little further back than usual in the Everest and flying home for third beating home Nature Strip before ending the prep by beating all bar the flying private eye. Will be fascinating to see just how much further improvement is to come from the 4-year-old as we already know he is right in the thick of it at the top level.
4. Lost and Running
A little bit of an interrupted prep for the lightly raced John O’Shea 6-year-old. He has always shown plenty of talent and has been meticulously placed and continually risen through the grades showing he can match it with the best in the spring of 2021 running 4th in the Everest, then running second in the Winner’s Stakes (then Classique legend stakes) behind Eduardo and finishing the prep winning the $1M hunter.
His Autumn prep was light with a first up kill in Sydney before the messy Newmarket Handicap down the Flemington straight when Roch ’N’ horse won at enormous odds. His Spring prep began with a flashing light run in the shorts running 3rd to Nature Strip before winning the Premiere Stakes which led to many seeing him as the main danger to Nature Strip in the Everest, however, we all know he was then scratched on race morning.
The way the race panned out only leaves one wondering what may have been had he been in the race at full health as it was obvious in the Winner’s Stakes next start that he was not the same horse and wasn’t able to accelerate like he normally does. Should be able to reach full health and get back to his best in 2023 and will certainly win some big races throughout the Autumn and Spring
3. In Secret
In Secret is a seriously talented Godolphin filly who has only had 6 career starts for 4 wins and 2 seconds, one of those defeats being an unlucky second to Zougotcha who has since won a group one. The other came in the Golden Rose when she just got bloused late by Jacquinot at a distance possibly on her outer limit.
Her talent and blistering turn of foot were on display in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes when defeating the boys in emphatic fashion down the Flemington straight on stakes day. She has the ability to win races from anywhere in the field and looks to continue on an upward spiral. Being a filly, we won’t see her retire to the stud farm so will hopefully at least get a few more seasons of racing out of her. She still harnesses so much potential and has a serious upside.
We know what James Cummings and the Godolphin team are able to do with promising young horses so will no doubt continue competing at the highest level being extremely competitive if not the one to beat.
2. Private eye
Well, this time last year I wouldn’t even think of putting Private Eye on this sort of a list let alone at number 2, as it would have been a ridiculous call. But, he was stunning over the sprint trips last Spring, possibly stamping his claim as an out-and-out run-on sprinter. Earlier in his career, he’d been touted as more of a miler even winning the Group One Epsom handicap in 2021 while also contesting the Mackinnon stakes the same spring over 2000 metres.
His first-up run last prep down the Flemington straight was arrogant over 1200 metres and he was then runner-up in the Everest only being run over late by Giga kick showing he may just be a run-on sprinter. This was confirmed with his huge win in the Winner’s Stakes storming home from last over 1300 for a dominant win running the last 600 metres in 33.18, a sizzling pace. He was then stretched back out to 1600 in the Champion’s Mile and was well backed but did not quicken as he had over the sprint trips. I think after this prep Joe Pride will keep him at the sprint trips and he will be storming home in anything he contests.
1. Giga Kick
Well, what a story this horse has been for former jumps jockey turned trainer Clayton Douglas.
The 2022 TAB Everest winner has had 6 starts for 5 wins, the only miss when getting caught up in a bit of traffic in the champions sprint when still flying home for fifth. The upside of this horse is enormous, hence why I have him placed at number 1, as he has shown that he has the ability to perform in high-pressure races and on the big stage despite still being a 3-year-old. His win in the Everest was just huge and the racing world is now his oyster, his ability to quicken and accelerate is enormous and although he has settled to the back of the pack in his last few starts, he showed in his first 2 career wins that he can settle and win towards the front of the pack as well.
Being a gelding he still has so much racing to come and I am excited to see the improvement he has to come or whether he can live up to that Everest performance.