Nature Strip Second in Equimillion Warm Up at Waratah World Cup

Tara Madgwick - Sunday August 18

The Waratah Showjumping World Cup event in Sydney over the past four days concluded on Sunday at Sydney International Equestrian Centre with the Equimillion New Stars warm up class producing some encouraging efforts and two time Australian Horse of the Year Nature Strip finished in the placings for his new owner and rider Kathy O’Hara.

The class was run to ‘perfect time’ which means it’s not the fastest that wins, but rather the horse with the least faults that can complete the course in what is seen as the ideal time.

Nature Strip and Kathy O'Hara finished in second place.

Advertisement

Nature Strip had just the one fence down and was very nearly perfect on the time, while the winner Cigar Bar (NZ), a five year-old gelding by Savabeel ridden by Alisa Moir was the only clear round.

Alisa Moir and Cigar Bar were the winners.

The class is restricted to horses that have retired in the previous 12 months, so it’s actually a pretty quick turnaround for horses to transition from the racetrack to being able to negotiate a course of jumps and deal with the atmosphere of a big show.

The winner is a Kiwi bred gelding from the famed Waikato Stud and is by their champion sire Savabeel from Group II placed Lady Tatia, who comes from the family of Australian Group I winners Shogun Lodge, Referral, Singing the Blues and last season’s Queensland Oaks winner Socks Nation.

Cigar Bar has a full sister called Belle of the Ball, who won several races and was also Group placed, but his level of racing ability didn’t quite match hers. He had 14 starts in NSW and Victoria for one win at Mendooran and was retired from racing in January this year.

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Savabeel Stayer wins G3 Counties Cup
Promising stayer Nereus put his current campaign back on track when he captured an action packed Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Barnstorming Win by Headwall in the Warra
The super-consistent Headwall reaped a just reward in the $300,000 Group III Snap Print Solutions Wollongong The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange.
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Sires With Winners - Thursday November 21
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kiwi Bred Comeback King Globe wins Cranbourne Cup
The super-talented Globe put a troubled 14 months behind him with a powerful all-the-way win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
Xtravagant Gelding Nadal Brilliant in Meteorite
Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.
Cambridge Stud News
It’s been the spring that keeps giving for Cambridge Stud and it’s not over yet.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.