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 7^th 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   

Table Credit: Racing Australia.