Lyons: Nature Strip is one of Australia’s greatest sprinters
Five trainers, 38 starts, 21 wins, and more than $18 million in prize-money later, Nature Strip (Nicconi) has taken his group of owners on an incredible journey since he first stepped onto the racetrack in a maiden race at Mornington back in 2017.
Rod Lyons is one of those lucky people and has nothing but gratitude and praise for the hulking sprinter who returned to the winner’s circle at Randwick on Saturday to win The Shorts (Gr 2, 1100m) after his successful mission to the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting just a few months ago.
“It’s been a wonderful dream and journey and it still looks like we have some petrol in the tank to continue the journey,” said Lyons.
The Melbourne-based owner, who has had his fair share of handy horses over the years, believes Nature Strip should now be considered one of the greatest Australian sprinters of the modern era.
“Take Black Caviar out of it and I think, personally, with what he’s done, he’s now the second best sprinter we have had in 50 years.
“I realise how tough it is, how lucky we are, and realise what a dream it is to have a lovely horse like him to go over the other side of the world and win and come back and win again. It doesn’t happen too often at all in anyone’s life.”
Now an eight-year-old, Nature Strip is in career-best form with his wins in The Everest (1200m) and King’s Stand Stakes (Gr 1, 5f) during the past 12 months amongst the greatest achievements of his entire career.
“It’s been phenomenal. Early doors you would never have thought that he was going to have that mental capacity to be able to put it into racetrack form,” Lyons said.
“He always had a lovely temperament but as soon as he crossed onto the track he got that white line fever and wanted to get it over and done with. All his trainers and riders curtailed that and he’s just got better and better and better.
“Saturday showed another string to his bow where he was able to sit off the speed, he relaxed beautifully and put those sectionals in when he needed to. If he continues to race like that there’s further success in front of him for sure.”
Lyons says the skills of champion trainer Chris Waller and jockey James McDonald have been key to Nature Strip realising his full potential.
“They are unbelievable. Chris Waller could have been successful with anything he decided to take up. He could have been a leader in the business world or politics or anything he wanted to do. Luckily, for us racing fans, he’s chosen racing. He’s a wonderful trainer and manager and just a down-to-earth decent human being as well.”
But there’s only so much influence that humans can have on any racehorse’s career and Lyons believes Nature Strip’s exceptional temperament has been instrumental in it all.
“As a horse, he is a kind, beautiful animal. You can walk into his box and he doesn’t kick or bite. You can lead him on a piece of cotton and he goes out, does his work with no hassles and goes back in his box,” Lyons said.
‘He’s as kind a horse as you will see and a beautiful big strong specimen. He’s almost perfect and the ideal type of horse you like to look at and have.”
His exceptional temperament and constitution are what has enabled him to travel to the northern hemisphere and win and return home and win yet again.
“It’s a long long way and the horse took nearly four hours with a stop in Singapore and Dubai but he didn’t turn a hair when he got off the plane in England there were no sweat marks on him,” Lyons added. “He put on two kilos and coming back he didn’t lose any weight. He’s just got a marvellous temperament, nothing bothers him.”
Soon, he will embark on his fourth attempt at The Everest and, after what he did on Saturday at Randwick, back-to-back success in the world’s richest sprint race looks well within his reach.
“It would be another dream you don’t want to wake up from his run against all those horses that were in The Everest and there were some good runs behind him. But there’s improvement in him so the horses that ran behind him have to improve a fair bit as well. Chris thinks he will run one heck of a race and can win,” Lyons said.
“But we all know what this game is like and things can change overnight when they walk out of a box in the morning. Fingers crossed he can stay in good health and condition. It would take a mighty good one to beat him in The Everest, I think.”