The 2018 Lightning Stakes was built as a match-race between South Australian sprint queen Sunlight and boom Victorian Nature Strip.
But it turned into a one act affair.
Nature Strip lived up to the pre-race hype to blow his rivals away thrashing the Magic Millions winner and Golden Slipper placegetter by a tick under six lengths with Damian Lane in the saddle.
Nature Strip won the Group 2 McEwen Stakes at his next start before he found his way to champion trainer Chris Waller. Since then, he has won six Group 1 races and two at Group 2 level from 18 starts to establish himself as the benchmark for Australian sprinters over the past two and a half years.
IMAGE: Atkins Photography
