Nature Strip Leads 2022 TJ Smith Stakes Nominations: 63 Early Entries

February 11, 2022

Nature Strip Leads 2022 TJ Smith Stakes Nominations: 63 Early Entries

Chris Waller’s dual defending champion and reigning $15 million The Everest winner Nature Strip headlines the TJ Smith Stakes 2022 nominations and all-in odds on the $2.5 million sprint this autumn.

Nature Strip (Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos) | Races.com.au

Nature Strip (pictured) is out to emulate Chautauqua as a three-time TJ Smith Stakes winner in 2022. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

Racing NSW took nominations for all the Group 1 races across the two days of The Championships in April including those for the T.J. Smith Stakes, the 1200m weight-for-age feature attracting 63 early entries ahead of the April 2 race date.

Five of those hail from the Waller stable, the master trainer chasing his third straight win following the back-to-back victories of his brilliant Nicconi gelding Nature Strip.

The now seven-year-old has amassed over $16 million in prize money, his stakes greatly boosted by his victory in last October’s edition of the world’s richest turf race.

Nature Strip backed up from his The Everest win to power home for a dominant three length victory in Flemington’s Group 1 VRC Classic (1200m) and early money suggests he will be equally as dominant in 2022.

He has won the past two editions of the TJ Smith Stakes by a combined four lengths and is the deserving $3.60 favourite in futures markets for a record equalling third through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Success would see Nature Strip join the grey flash Chautauqua (2015-17) as a three-time consecutive TJ Smith Stakes winner.

Waller’s other nominees are: undefeated filly Espiona nominated for a host of Group 1s over the autumn, Coolmore Stud Stakes winning colt Home Affairs, Fastnet Rock three-year-old Ranch Hand and September Run who won the 2020 Coolmore Stud Stakes.

Fellow The Everest graduates from the spring Eduardo (3rd, Masked Crusader (2nd) and Lost And Running (4th) are among the other standout TJ Smith Stakes nominations in 2022 paying $6, $8 and $14 respectively in the latest pre-field markets.

The Joe Pride-trained Eduardo was third to Nature Strip in last year’s TJ Smith Stakes trifecta on the back of his The Galaxy win at Rosehill and was excellent in the winter winning Brisbane’s Doomben 10,000 as the odds-on favourite.

Following The Everest he enjoyed a consolation win in the $1 million Classique Legend Stakes and looks on track for his autumn return winning two recent Randwick trials.

Masked Crusader from the stables of Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes is also looking to turn the tables on Nature Strip in the race following a second in the TJ Smith last year following his William Reid Stakes victory at The Valley that preparation.

Lost And Running meanwhile finished fourth in The Everest, second in the Classique Legend Stakes and then went to Newcastle and won the $1 million The Hunter over the 1300m during a very nice spring for the John O’Shea-trained Per Incanto gelding.

Other notable TJ Smith Stakes nominations include Ciaron Maher & David Eustace’s undefeated Australia Stakes winning mare Marabi, Godolphin’s Caulfield Guineas champ Anamoe and Golden Rose winning colt In The Congo for the race’s seven-time winning trainer Waterhouse.

The 2022 TJ Smith Stakes first acceptances close on Tuesday the 8th of March and updated futures markets on the event courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au are available here.

2022 TJ Smith Stakes Nominations

Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 967x10x00x AIM G 4 Peter & Paul Snowden
2 21x1212x3x ANAMOE C 3 James Cummings 114
3 116x22433x ARTORIUS C 3 Anthony & Sam Freedman
4 312286x23x AWAY GAME M 4 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace 103
5 0x116x142x BALLISTIC LOVER M 4 Joseph Pride
6 6x3121323x BELLA NIPOTINA M 4 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
7 33x138x24x BELLUCI BABE (NZ) M 5 Bjorn Baker 90
8 131x13114x BIG PARADE G 5 Mark Newnham 107
9 30x1132x BRUCKNER C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
10 2183x1321x COUNT DE RUPEE G 4 Robert & Luke Price 108
11 12x130x CRYSTAL BOUND F 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
12 x1131x131x EDUARDO G 8 Joseph Pride 118
13 x177x2230x EMBRACER G 6 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 102
14 1x16x31x4x ENTHAAR F 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
15 11x ESPIONA F 3 Chris Waller 80
16 2x25x110x EXTREME WARRIOR C 3 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
17 11x331x1 GENERATION C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
18 2138x191x HOME AFFAIRS C 3 Chris Waller
19 1221210x IN THE CONGO C 3 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
20 253x12938x INGRATIATING C 3 James Cummings
21 211Lx12x1x ISOTOPE M 4 Tony Gollan
22 621x418x9x JAMAEA F 3 Robert & Luke Price 92
23 1x3x2x761x JONKER H 6 Tony Gollan
24 318x232x1x KEMALPASA G 6 Richard & Chantelle Jolly
25 3x54518x5x LAWS OF INDICES (IRE) H 4 Annabel Neasham 106
26 183x38x80x LIBERTINI M 5 Anthony Cummings 107
27 211x84421x LOST AND RUNNING (NZ) G 5 John O’Shea 114
28 2112x222x5 MALKOVICH H 4 Bjorn Baker 99
29 12446×1 MAOTAI C 3 Kacy Fogden 82
30 111x111x MARABI M 5 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
31 567x11012x MARINE ONE C 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
32 3x1x MARS MISSION C 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 65
33 125x15126x MASKED CRUSADER G 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 116
34 39x164x11x MINHAAJ M 4 John O’Shea
35 x121x1211x NATURE STRIP G 7 Chris Waller
36 244x09300x NEVER TALK M 4 Kris Lees 87
37 NIMBOSTRATUS (FR) M 4 Annabel Neasham
38 140x846x1x OVERPASS C 3 Bjorn Baker 103
39 114x2316x OXLEY ROAD H 4 Peter G Moody
40 71x12210x1 PAULELE C 3 James Cummings
41 10x153x80x POLAND G 4 Michael Moroney 88
42 1127x621x PROFITEER C 3 Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)
43 11x0x4111x QUANTICO G 5 John O’Shea 95
44 200x1745x2 RANCH HAND C 3 Chris Waller 88
45 15x330x REMARQUE C 3 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 90
46 2201x4272x ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ) M 5 Michael Moroney
47 x297x1111x RULE OF LAW G 4 Bjorn Baker 89
48 048x37664x SEPTEMBER RUN M 4 Chris Waller
49 5433x5555x SIGNORE FOX H 6 Peter & Paul Snowden
50 x343x61x2x SINAWANN (IRE) H 5 Anthony & Sam Freedman
51 11x17x SNEAKY FIVE F 3 Ciaron Maher & David Eustace
52 0168x4147x SPLINTEX H 5 Mark Newnham
53 0x62230x6x STANDOUT H 5 Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou 102
54 x358x8052x SWATS THAT M 4 Leon & Troy Corstens
55 5411313x3x THE ASTROLOGIST G 5 Leon & Troy Corstens
56 1x474x142x THE BOPPER G 4 Kris Lees 85
57 1111x6120x THE INFERNO G 5 Cliff Brown 111
58 x554x3360x TREKKING G 7 James Cummings 113
59 16x19x8x7x TRUMBULL (NZ) G 6 Kim Waugh 104
60 211x VERNE C 3 Annabel Neasham 70
61 6224x0420x WANDABAA M 5 Kris Lees 97
62 x1619x210x WILD RULER H 4 Peter & Paul Snowden 112
63 7140x4240x ZOUTORI G 6 Mathew Ellerton

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

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