Nature Strip (foaled 16 November 2014) is a retired champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2020 and 2022 Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year, a nine-time Group 1 winner, and the winner of The Everest in 2021, the richest turf race in the world.
Background
Nature Strip was passed in for $90,000 at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling sale and sent to trainer Robert Smerdon by breeders Golden Grove Farm. Smerdon sold five 1% shares in the then un-named horse, before convincing retired businessman Rod Lyons to buy 85% and farmer Peter Baulderstone to take the remaining 10%, with the value set at $120,000. Lyons sold down part of his stake to various interests including a New Zealand-based group featuring Sir Stephen Hansen, World Cup-winning rugby coach. The horse was named from dam Strikeline and the practice of Australian factory workers to gather on the nature strip outside their place of work during industrial disputes.
Racing career
Aquanita and 3YO season 2017/18
Nature Strip, trained initially by Robert Smerdon, won on debut as a 3-year-old, in a 1000m maiden at Mornington on October 17, 2017. He was beaten at his next and first metropolitan start but won the next three races he contested including the Inglis Dash over 1100m at Flemington in January, 2018. Robert Hickmott was in temporary charge due to Smerdon being suspended, but by the time of his next start, John Sadler (part of Smerdon's Aquanita group) had taken charge of Nature Strip. The horse was beaten at his two autumn 2018 starts, including the Group 2 Euclase Stakes in Adelaide. Nature Strip pulled up poorly after the race. Following those failures, the owners transferred Nature Strip to Darren Weir's stables, mainly due to the scandal engulfing the Aquanita organisation.
Darren Weir, Chris Waller and 4YO season 2018/19
Nature Strip proceeded to win his first four starts under Weir through winter and early spring 2018, including an impressive six-length win over Group 1 winner Sunlight in Adelaide. This was followed by his first group win, the Group 2 WFA McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley on Sept. 8, 2018, where he also broke the 1000m track record. Nature Strip was selected as the Australian Turf Club's representative in the 2018 Everest at this stage. Three weeks later Nature Strip was the $1.75 favourite in his first Group 1 start, the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley, but finished a disappointing eighth after being forced to race wide. The ATC removed Nature Strip from their Everest slot and the horse went for a spell.
In January 2019, Weir was arrested following a police raid on his Ballarat stables, principally over the use of 'jiggers' in training. Weir was subsequently disqualified and his horses were quickly transferred to other stables, with Nature Strip joining Sydney-based Chris Waller. Nature Strip was an impressive winner in his first start under Waller, the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes over 1100m at Caulfield in Melbourne on Feb 9, 2019. A fortnight later Nature Strip again failed at Group 1 level, fading badly to finish 10th in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield after starting the $2:30 favourite. Nature Strip was developing a reputation amongst some racing followers as an over-rated horse.
Nature Strip broke through for his maiden Group 1 victory at his next start in March 2019, narrowly holding on to win the 1100m Galaxy at Rosehill in Sydney, a race that his father, Nicconi won in 2009. Nature Strip went for a brief spell before tackling the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in Queensland in May 2019. Again starting a short-priced favourite, he finished fourth with a wide draw and the use of ear-muffs proffered as excuses. In his next start Nature Strip struggled after over-racing in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes at Randwick, but bounced back to win the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley following his loss a year earlier.
5YO season, 2019/20
Nature Strip was described as "the most polarizing horse in Australia" when selected for his inaugural attempt at The Everest in 2019. In the event Nature Strip, a $26 chance, finished fourth after leading but being overtaken with 100m remaining. In true enigmatic style, Nature Strip won his third Group 1 race for the year three weeks later, triumphing easily in the Darley Sprint Classic at Flemington. It was also his first win over 1200m.