Giga Kick, Nature Strip and Vain All Compete in the Champions Sprint at Flemington
During the Victoria Racing Club Stakes, the Champions Sprint is a Group One Thoroughbred horse race that is run under age weight conditions. It is for horses aged three years and older.
Amelia's Jewel
Earlier this year, Amelia's Jewel was named as one of the most exciting prospects in Australian racing. Her only loss came in the Listed Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) in Melbourne. In that race, she finished second to Laced Up Heels.
Amelia's Jewel hasn't raced since the Burgess Queen Stakes, but she will be back in action at Ascot on Saturday. In the Group 2 Drummond Golf-Belgravia Stakes (1200m), Amelia's Jewel was a hard-working, but not unbeaten, performer. She was ridden by Pat Carbery for owner and trainer Simon Miller.
A win in the Northerly Stakes would go a long way to establishing Amelia's Jewel as one of the top Australian racehorses. She has a history with the race and has drawn barrier one. However, rival trainers will be looking to shunt her around.
Miller is adamant that Amelia's Jewel is ready for Group 1 competition. She won the Group 2 WA Guineas at Flemington in April, and has a three-week break before the Northerly Stakes.
Amelia's Jewel will be partnered by Patrick Carbery for the Group 2 Champions Sprint at Ascot on Saturday. She has won three of her four starts this prep. The two-year-old is a well-backed $8 chance to win.
Amelia's Jewel is a homebred for Amelia Park Racing & Breeding. Her sire is Siyouni and her dam is Bumbasina (IRE), a Canford Cliffs mare that has scored at Group 2 level.
Nature Strip
Giga Kick has retained his flawless record at a big price, and will be ready to prove himself against Australian champion sprinter Nature Strip in Saturday's $3 million Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington. The three-year-old has been unbeaten in five runs, including a win in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) two back.
Nature Strip will be a popular betting favourite to win the Champions Sprint. The four-year-old is a champion sprinter in Australia, and is also a two-time winner of the Flemington Champions Sprint (2022).
He was selected to represent the Australian Turf Club in the 2019 Everest race. He was described as the most polarising horse in Australia when he was selected. The Everest is the richest turf race in the world.
Nature Strip has won 22 of 40 starts, and has taken on a variety of horses. He's also had to deal with horses that have gone on to stud careers. He's won six Group 1 races in April. Despite this, Nature Strip is still a long way off beating Winx's record of earning the most prize money in Australia.
Nature Strip has been a sensational sprinter this spring, and has taken on a number of one-time rivals. He beat Masked Crusader in a G2 The Shorts over 1100m at Randwick on September 17. He also beat Masked Crusader in the Challenge Stakes at Rosehill two weeks later.
Terravista
Amongst the world's top sprinters, one of the most intriguing is Terravista. In 2014, he won the prestigious Darley Classic at Flemington. He also won the Global Sprint Challenge. Now, as he prepares for his first start in over three months, he is proving that he has not lost his way.
The Champions Sprint is a big race with many contenders, but one stands out. Terravista, a seven-year-old son of Captain Rio, is arguably the best sprinter in the game. He is a master of his craft and has been at the top of the class for a couple of years. He also has a very strong pedigree.
In addition to his recent wins, he has also won three Group 1 races, including the Oakleigh Plate and the Manikato Stakes. The latter is a highlight of the racing season, with a dazzling display set to take place at Moonee Valley in October.
The VRC Sprint Classic has produced some memorable moments. Three favourites have taken home the spoils since 2013, and three have taken home the money.
In 2010, Black Caviar won a Group 1 race by four lengths. He was unbeaten in 25 career starts. His victory was a maiden Group 1 success. He also won the VRC Sprint Classic in 2011.
There are many to choose from, but one stands out. Terravista will be on his best behaviour at Flemington on Saturday. He will be ridden by Joe Pride, and will attempt to erase a bad memory.
Miss Andretti
Despite having won only seven of her 10 races this season, Miss Andretti is likely to be the biggest winner of the Global Sprint Challenge. She has already earned more than $3 million in prize money and leads the charge to claim the US$1 million bonus. However, her chances of claiming the coveted trophy might not be as good as she seems.
Miss Andretti is one of the most highly rated sprinters on the planet. She has 19 wins from 31 starts and a win percentage of 61%. She has been crowned Australia's Champion Racehorse and Sky Channel's Most Popular Racehorse. In November, she was crowned the Australian Racehorse of the Year.
She is on track to take the title to Hong Kong, where she will compete in the $2.5 million Cathay Pacific International Sprint. The winner will retain the Global Sprint Challenge title in Australia. In addition, she will win a further $A1 million if she wins the Group One Hong Kong International Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin. Several leading sprinters are expected to contest the race.
Miss Andretti will have to beat local heroes Absolute Champion and Sacred Kingdom, who have won seven of their eight races this season. It's also likely that she'll have to break the weight carrying record held by Power Princess, who has weighed more than 60kg on her final race.
Miss Andretti is one of Freedman's stable stars, who enjoys a challenging task of working with leading trainers. He has a personal goal of completing the HK$12 million Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sprint at the end of the season.
Dance Hero
Amongst the tidal wave of Group One sprinters, Dance Hero stood out as a worthy opponent in his own right. With an impressive record of six wins, including three of the big four, he was no slouch. His most memorable race was arguably the Champagne Stakes over the mile. He also made a name for himself in the Breeders' Plate and VRC Derby Day. In his prime, Dance Hero was not only the best sprinter of his generation, but was also a member of the Waterhouse stables, which produced a triumvirate of equine superstars.
Dance Hero has a reputation for being the most dominant of his sibs, but he was no slouch when it came to a close. He certainly has the requisite girth to compete with the best and has a knack for the most important races. His most notable win came in the Champagne Stakes over the mile, a contested race in which he beat Group One winner Ike's Dream and future Cox Plate winner Wager.
One of the best parts of the Champagne Stakes was that it was held at Rosehill, which is home to some of the best sprinters in Australia. This allowed Dance Hero to show his stuff in the big room, the aforementioned champagne being the prize of the bunch. It also allowed him to treat his rivals with the etiquette of a seasoned veteran, as he showed them exactly what they were missing in the big room.
Vain
During the 1960's and 1970's, Vain was one of the best sprinters in Australian racing. He was a champion in the Victoria Derby and the Victoria Derby Handicap. He won 12 of 14 races, setting a prize money record for a two-year-old.
Vain had a long and successful stud career at Widden Stud in Hunter Valley. He sired two Golden Slipper winners and was a leading sire in Australia. He also had near blood ties to Black Caviar on both sides of his pedigree.
The Vain Stakes is a Group 3 race run over a 1100 metre sprint distance. It is part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and runs on PB Lawrence Stakes Day at Caulfield. It is a good early season lead-up race for three-year-olds, and has been attracting some quality new season colts and geldings.
The Vain Stakes has been run at Caulfield since 2002. The race attracts some smart young male sprinters. The field is stacked with three-year-olds returning to the track after a winter break, and will hopefully progress to similar Group events in the future.
The Vain Stakes has traditionally been dominated by single-figure favourites, and in recent years has been stacked with horses that have gone on to win Group 1 races. The last horse to reach double-figures in the Vain Stakes markets was Our Playboy. It is not unusual for single-figure favourites to upset the race.