Chris Waller’s three-time defending champion Nature Strip headlines the TJ Smith Stakes 2023 nominations in Sydney this autumn looking for an historic fourth win in the feature sprint.
Three-time champion Nature Strip heads all-in betting to secure a fourth TJ Smith Stakes victory this April in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart.
Last Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival the country’s premier sprinter joined Chautauqua (2015-17) on three victories in the TJ Smith at Royal Randwick.
Nature Strip now gets the chance to surpass the ‘Grey Flash’ with another trophy in this year’s edition of the Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on Day 1 of The Championships on April 1.
Early entries for all the upcoming autumn majors in Sydney were taken this week including the weight-for-age TJ Smith that drew 78 nominees.
Nature Strip heads the updated all-in TJ Smith Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $4.60 to salute again.
Waller has a total of four entries with Nature Strip joined by Espiona, September Run and his Flight Stakes winning filly Zougotcha.
The eight-year-old son of Nicconi continues to defy his age and has amassed over $20 million in career earnings ahead of his autumn return.
Nature Strip was the winner of the 2021 The Everest and internationally crowned with his 4.5 length romp home at Royal Ascot last June in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes.
The dangers occupying the second and third line of futures markets are the James Cummings-trained Coolmore Stud Stakes winning filly In Secret ($6) who returns this weekend in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes, and Joe Pride’s The Everest runner-up and Nature Strip Stakes champ Private Eye ($7).
Pride has also nominated for Nature Strip’s regular foe Eduardo with the now nine-year-old son of Host having run third in 2021 and second in last year’s TJ Smith Stakes quinella.
Godolphin head trainer down under Cummings meanwhile has also nominated star three-year-old Aft Cabin who has a plethora of autumn options on the table, Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile and Winterbottom Stakes winner Paulele among his seven entries.
Last year’s upset The Everest winning three-year-old Giga Kick is also being kept safe in futures TJ Smith Stakes betting at $8.
Giga Kick is out to join Trapeze Artist (2018) and Melio (2010) as the only three-year-old TJ Smith Stakes winners since the 2004 success of filly Dilly Dally.
Other standout TJ Smith Stakes nominees out to stop the Nature Strip dynasty include the John O’Shea-trained Lost And Running, Peter & Paul Snowden’s Doomben 10,000 champ from last winter Mazu and Matthew Smith’s promising Supido colt Buenos Noches.
The 2023 TJ Smith Stakes first acceptances close on Tuesday the 7th of March, 2023.
Click here for the latest all-in TJ Smith Stakes betting odds courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2023 TJ Smith Stakes Nominations
| Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x12130x00x | A CASE OF YOU (IRE) | H | 5 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 2 | 2121×1 | AFT CABIN | C | 3 | James Cummings | 97 |
| 3 | 168x34913x | ALCOHOL FREE (IRE) | M | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | |
| 4 | 1227x2910x | ARGENTIA | M | 4 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | |
| 5 | 33x66x336x | ARTORIUS | H | 4 | Anthony & Sam Freedman | 108 |
| 6 | x8815x133x | BALLER | G | 7 | Tony Gollan | |
| 7 | x1020x114x | BAROSSA ROSA | M | 5 | Tracey Bartley | |
| 8 | 8155x1219x | BELLA NIPOTINA | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
| 9 | 16123x | BUENOS NOCHES | C | 3 | Matthew Smith | 94 |
| 10 | 4x11x4843x | CANNONBALL | C | 3 | Peter & Paul Snowden | |
| 11 | 11x111310x | CHAIN OF LIGHTNING | M | 4 | Peter G Moody | 104 |
| 12 | 11x12x221x | CLEMENCEAU | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 90 |
| 13 | x11x3x315x | COOLANGATTA | F | 3 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
| 14 | 4752x6440x | DALCHINI | M | 4 | Lee & Cherie Curtis | 80 |
| 15 | 213x1124x | DUSSE | F | 3 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
| 16 | 21x16x | ECONOMICS | C | 3 | Annabel Neasham | |
| 17 | x312x1406x | EDUARDO | G | 9 | Joseph Pride | 117 |
| 18 | x2381x640x | ESPIONA | M | 4 | Chris Waller | 94 |
| 19 | 7x1x1224x2 | FIRE | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
| 20 | 11112x554x | FIREBURN | F | 3 | Gary Portelli | 106 |
| 21 | 02x104x10x | FRONT PAGE | G | 6 | Geoff Duryea | |
| 22 | 1240x2436x | GENERATION | H | 4 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
| 23 | 1x11115x | GIGA KICK | G | 3 | Clayton Douglas | |
| 24 | 1x21411x2x | GOLDEN MILE | C | 3 | James Cummings | 102 |
| 25 | 1146x1111x | I AM ME | M | 4 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 103 |
| 26 | x123x1151x | I WISH I WIN (NZ) | G | 4 | Peter G Moody | 110 |
| 27 | 11x2121x | IN SECRET | F | 3 | James Cummings | 111 |
| 28 | x329x6272x | IN THE CONGO | H | 4 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 107 |
| 29 | x0794x696x | ISOTOPE | M | 5 | Tony Gollan | |
| 30 | 3x24880x7x | JAMAEA | M | 4 | Robert & Luke Price | 96 |
| 31 | x140x0692x | JUMP THE BROOM | M | 5 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 85 |
| 32 | 103x54737x | KEMENTARI | G | 8 | James Cummings | |
| 33 | 2424x126x7 | KEY LARGO | G | 6 | Bryce Heys | 82 |
| 34 | 66x81811x5 | KOTE | G | 3 | Anthony Cummings | 79 |
| 35 | 11x347x | LOFTY STRIKE | C | 3 | Julius Sandhu | |
| 36 | 5x61621x0x | LOMBARDO | G | 6 | Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) | |
| 37 | 21x10x317x | LOST AND RUNNING (NZ) | G | 6 | John O’Shea | 115 |
| 38 | 111x11115x | MARABI | M | 6 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | |
| 39 | 631443x11x | MARIAMIA | M | 6 | Joseph Pride | 105 |
| 40 | 67x110121x | MARINE ONE | H | 4 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 102 |
| 41 | 11536x315x | MARS MISSION | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 75 |
| 42 | 579x63900x | MASKED CRUSADER | G | 6 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | |
| 43 | 1111x5232x | MAZU | G | 4 | Peter & Paul Snowden | 114 |
| 44 | 27x112370x | MILITARY EXPERT | H | 4 | Annabel Neasham | 97 |
| 45 | 231x1x142x | NATURE STRIP | G | 8 | Chris Waller | |
| 46 | 38x342512x | ON THE LEAD | G | 5 | Richard & Will Freedman | |
| 47 | 557x26690x | OVERPASS | G | 4 | Bjorn Baker | 107 |
| 48 | 6x230x706x | OXLEY ROAD | H | 5 | Peter G Moody | |
| 49 | 1111x4x | PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE | M | 4 | Grahame Begg | |
| 50 | 322x61801x | PAULELE | H | 4 | James Cummings | |
| 51 | 1x3174x16x | PO KARE KARE (NZ) | M | 4 | Bryce Heys | 74 |
| 52 | 5082x1217x | PRIVATE EYE | G | 5 | Joseph Pride | |
| 53 | 2415x7109x | PROMISE OF SUCCESS (GB) | M | 7 | John O’Shea | 108 |
| 54 | x0x4111x0x | QUANTICO | G | 6 | John O’Shea | 95 |
| 55 | 0x55x118x1 | REMARQUE | G | 4 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 102 |
| 56 | 1x3210x90x | RISE OF THE MASSES | C | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 79 |
| 57 | 7210x4221x | ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ) | M | 6 | Michael Moroney | |
| 58 | 40x738915x | ROCKETING BY | G | 5 | David Pfieffer | 105 |
| 59 | 75x112125x | SACRED SATONO (NZ) | C | 3 | Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | |
| 60 | 140x760x3 | SEBONACK | G | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 80 |
| 61 | 19x77610x8 | SEJARDAN | C | 3 | Gary Portelli | 93 |
| 62 | 1x251x755x | SEMILLION | C | 3 | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | 84 |
| 63 | 4x3135x84x | SEPTEMBER RUN | M | 5 | Chris Waller | 110 |
| 64 | 1xP211118x | SHADES OF ROSE | M | 4 | Bjorn Baker | 102 |
| 65 | 70x709702x | SHELBY SIXTYSIX | G | 6 | Danny Williams | 96 |
| 66 | 1111x3x10x | SHOWMANSHIP (NZ) | G | 7 | John Leek (Jnr) | 103 |
| 67 | 40x381321x | SKY COMMAND | M | 4 | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 102 |
| 68 | 131x | SUNSHINE IN PARIS | F | 3 | Annabel Neasham | 72 |
| 69 | 455x36008x | SWATS THAT | M | 5 | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | 102 |
| 70 | 20x961322x | SWEET RIDE | C | 3 | Annabel Neasham | 90 |
| 71 | 6x212x397x | SWISS EXILE | C | 3 | Annabel Neasham | 86 |
| 72 | 3x6463681x | THE ASTROLOGIST | G | 6 | Leon & Troy Corstens | |
| 73 | 211x111x | UNCOMMON JAMES | G | 4 | Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted | |
| 74 | 1518x1810x | VILANA | H | 4 | James Cummings | |
| 75 | 1x15x1334x | WEONA SMARTONE (NZ) | G | 6 | David Vandyke | 104 |
| 76 | 421x16144x | ZAPATEO | M | 4 | James Cummings | |
| 77 | 22x183x2 | ZOU TIGER | C | 3 | John O’Shea | 89 |
| 78 | 125x111x | ZOUGOTCHA | F | 3 | Chris Waller | 106 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
