Australia: Jamie Kah will take over on the world’s top sprinter Nature Strip when he bids for a repeat success in Melbourne’s top sprint, the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, on Saturday week [Feb 19] at Flemington.
Regular partner James McDonald instead rides Coolmore’s three-year-old stablemate Home Affairs in the famous G1 contest – a decision that left Nature Strip’s owner admitting to feeling “anger and disappointment”.
Both horses are trained by Australia’s leading trainer Chris Waller, and Nature Strip is #6 on the TRC Global Rankings while Home Affairs is yet to crack the Top 100. A trip to Royal Ascot in 2022 has been mooted for both.
McDonald, current world #1, rode Nature Strip in six of his seven starts last year, when his five wins included victory in the A$15m ($10.64m) Everest. Kah was aboard in the Lightning Stakes, when COVID-19 rules prevented McDonald from travelling to Victoria.
McDonald’s commitment to Home Affairs, who announced himself with a three-length win in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in October, is reportedly due to an agreement with the colt’s owners. The Kiwi is set to ride the three-year-old in all his races this season.
Rod Lyons, the senior part-owner in Nature Strip, told Australia's RSN: “My initial reaction was a bit of anger and disappointment but James does have a long-term commitment with Coolmore and I guess it was a difficult situation for him.
“I’d imagine James is also pretty disappointed to have to pass up on Nature Strip,” Lyons went on. “It’s an unusual situation.”
“But I will add that it gives us options as well when it comes to jockey placement on the horse. James has options, so do we. That said, when the horse goes to Sydney, I have no doubt that James will be the first choice.”
The Lightning Stakes has produced a plethora of Royal Ascot winners, with Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) and Scenic Blast (2009) all going on to win the King’s Stand Stakes the same year. Choisir and Black Caviar (2012) won the Diamond Jubilee.
Chris Waller, forever synonymous with the legendary Winx, described having to run Nature Strip and Home Affairs against each other as both “disappointing” and “a privilege”.
Announcing the riding arrangements in a statement on Twitter, he said: “It is disappointing to have to run two horses like this together but it is also a privilege to have both horses in our care.
“James McDonald feels the same way and unfortunately can’t ride both horses. It is likely that James will ride Home Affairs and without going into the details as to the reasons why, it is certainly no reflection of how either horse is going, in fact, Nature Strip is clearly the best of the two and Home Affairs needs to continue to improve to get up to Nature Strip’s level.
“I am sure with time he will and whether that be first up, or later in the preparation, only time will tell.”
Kah, the only woman in the world’s Top 50, headed the Melbourne premiership in 2020-21. She returned to action in December after a three-month suspension for breaking COVID rules at a party.
Waller added: “It was logical that Jamie Kah continues her association with Nature Strip having partnered him to win the race last year.”
• Visit the Chris Waller Racing website
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