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The Lightning Stakes, renamed the Black Caviar Lightning, is the first sprinting race of the Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival and is a premier weight-for-age event. As a 1000m race, there are no turns and horses just battle it out on the straight of the Flemington race rack.

The $1,000,000 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes is the only 1000m Group 1 race held in Australia and since 2005 it has been the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge. A possible lead-up to the Lightning Stakes is Caulfield’s Group 2 Rubition Stakes (1200m) on C.F. Orr Stakes Day a fortnight earlier, but many runners take to the track first-up.

The Black Caviar Lightning serves as a nice autumn racing guide to the upcoming Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) the following month back at Flemington and Black Caviar (2011), Lankan Rupee (2014) and Redkirk Warrior (2018) all recent winners of the double.

In 2020 the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes was won by Gytrash who went on to run top three in his next seven starts including running third in that season’s Newmarket Handicap and second in the William Reid Stakes. He also ran third in the spring’s $15 million The Everest before winning the now $3 million Winners’ Stakes.

The 2021 Black Caviar Lightning winner Nature Strip would continue on to win that year’s Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes and VRC Classic as well as the $15 million The Everest.

Nature Strip returned in 2022 as the favourite to defend his title, but after missing the kick he could only manage to run second to his young stablemate Home Affairs in a thrilling photo-finish.

The 2022 Black Caviar Lightning form was franked with the runner-up Nature Strip going on to win a record-equalling third TJ Smith Stakes that autumn in Sydney before a successful international bid winning Royal Ascot’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes in 2022 by a big margin.

Nature Strip was disappointing in the 2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes results running ninth as the beaten odds-on favourite in a race won first-up by gun 1000m specialist filly Coolangatta.

The 2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes ran on Saturday February 18, 2023 and was won in eye-catching fashion by the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained filly Coolangatta ($9). 

Black Caviar Lightning Stakes 2023
Date:	Saturday February 18, 2023
Track:	Flemington Racecourse
Distance:	1000m
Race Type:	Weight-For-Age
Status:	Group 1
Prize Money:	$1,000,000

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Results

• 1st: #11 Coolangatta ($9)
• 2nd: #2 I Wish I Win
• 3rd: #5 Bella Nipotina

The Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes in the UK at Royal Ascot this June is calling for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace’s now two-time Group 1 1000m winning filly Coolangatta ($9) who was too good for her older rivals first-up for a good win late in the 2023 Black Caviar Lightning results at Flemington.

Click here to read more on the Black Caviar Lightning 2023 win by the filly Coolangatta. 

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Results & Finishing Order

	Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Penalty	Starting Price
	1	11	COOLANGATTA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ms Jamie Kah		8	53.5kg		$9
	2	2	I WISH I WIN (NZ)	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	0.4L	3	58.5kg		$8.50
	3	5	BELLA NIPOTINA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Melham	0.5L	6	56.5kg		$14
	4	7	SEPTEMBER RUN	Chris Waller	Blake Shinn	0.7L	5	56.5kg		$21
	5	9	BUENOS NOCHES	Matthew Smith	Craig Williams	2.2L	10	55.5kg		$8.50
	6	1	NATURE STRIP	Chris Waller	James McDonald	2.3L	1	58.5kg		$1.95F
	7	3	BALLER	Tony Gollan	Mark Zahra	3.3L	7	58.5kg		$21
	8	8	MARABI	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Allen	3.5L	4	56.5kg		$9.50
	9	4	FIRE	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Damien Oliver	6.5L	2	58.5kg		$61
	10	10	MILLANE	Peter G Moody	Daniel Stackhouse	6.7L	9	55.5kg		$81
		6	ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ)	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott		0

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Betting Odds

The latest Black Caviar Lightning Stakes 2023 betting odds will be available below the week of the race complete with market links to Ladbrokes.com.au.

There was a notable upset in 2023 with the filly Coolangatta winning at $9 while the odds-on favourite Nature Strip finished a flat sixth.

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST 2023 BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING ODDS (Final Field)

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Form Guide

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2023 BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING FORM GUIDE

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Tips

Stay tuned for our insider Black Caviar Lightning 2023 Tips on the short-distance sprint classic this autumn.

• To Win: #1 Nature Strip ($2.10 at time of publish) 

Does Nature Strip return a winner? He was narrowly beaten in an upset here back in November’s VRC Sprint Classic when a neck second as the odds-on elect to Roch ‘N’ Horse at the end of his prep. No longer faces his last start conqueror in the Black Caviar this weekend with Roch ‘N’ Horse scratched due to injury, and it is getting harder to tip against him fresh. Waller’s $20.6 million earner flies first-up (11:6-3-0) and is an absolute gun over the 1000m short sprint distance (18:10-4-1). The evergreen eight-year-old is an absolute straight track Flemington specialist (10:6-3-0), gets things his way from barrier one and won this race two years ago. True, he was beaten fresh here last autumn running fourth to Gytrash, but he had some things go against him that day. Looked beautiful in a recent trial and can’t bet against him even at the short odds. Back don’t sack.

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Field

The Black Caviar Lightning Field attracts a line-up of the autumn’s best sprinters including those spring stars resuming off campaigns the season prior that included runs in races like The Everest and VRC Classic.

Nature Strip (2021) completed the Black Caviar Lightning – The Everest – VRC Classic treble.

The 2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes field will be provided below as soon as released by Racing Victoria the Wednesday before the race.

The Black Caviar Lightning 2023 final field features a star-studded line-up of sprinters led in betting by Chris Waller’s heroic $20.6 million earner Nature Strip drawn the rails and the returning Group 1 winning filly Coolangatta for the Maher/Eustace stable.

Click here to read more on the key runners in the 2023 Black Caviar Lightning field and betting markets.

• Update: #6 Roch ‘N’ Horse (2) has been scratched due to a hind leg injury. Click here to read more.

No	Last 10	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	231x1x142x	NATURE STRIP	Chris Waller	James McDonald	1	58.5kg		120
2	x123x1151x	I WISH I WIN (NZ)	Peter G Moody	Luke Nolen	4	58.5kg		109
3	x8815x133x	BALLER	Tony Gollan	Mark Zahra	8	58.5kg		109
4	7x1x1224x2	FIRE	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Damien Oliver	3	58.5kg		76
5	8155x1219x	BELLA NIPOTINA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Melham	7	56.5kg		112
6	7210x4221x	ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ)	Michael Moroney	Jamie Mott	2	56.5kg		115
7	4x3135x84x	SEPTEMBER RUN	Chris Waller	Blake Shinn	6	56.5kg		111
8	111x11115x	MARABI	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Allen	5	56.5kg		112
9	16123x	BUENOS NOCHES	Matthew Smith	Craig Williams	11	55.5kg		98
10	1x3380x	MILLANE	Peter G Moody	Daniel Stackhouse	10	55.5kg		72
11	x11x3x315x	COOLANGATTA	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ms Jamie Kah	9	53.5kg		110

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Nominations

The 2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes nominations will be published here the Monday of race week.

Chris Waller’s champion sprinter Nature Strip headlines the early 2023 Black Caviar Lightning nominations for his return to racing this weekend at headquarters.

	Last 10	Horse	Sex	Age	Trainer	Ballot	Weight	Penalty	Hcp Rating
1	231x1x142x	NATURE STRIP	G	8	Chris Waller	1	58.5kg		120
2	x123x1151x	I WISH I WIN (NZ)	G	4	Peter G Moody	2	58.5kg		109
3	8155x1219x	BELLA NIPOTINA	M	5	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	3	56.5kg		112
4	7210x4221x	ROCH ’N’ HORSE (NZ)	M	6	Michael Moroney	4	56.5kg		115
5	x11x3x315x	COOLANGATTA	F	3	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	5	53.5kg		110
6	4x3135x84x	SEPTEMBER RUN	M	5	Chris Waller	6	56.5kg		111
7	55x36008x3	SWATS THAT	M	5	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	7	56.5kg		102
8	x8815x133x	BALLER	G	7	Tony Gollan	8	58.5kg		109
9	111x11115x	MARABI	M	6	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	9	56.5kg		112
10	70x709702x	SHELBY SIXTYSIX	G	6	Danny Williams	10	58.5kg		96
11	16123x	BUENOS NOCHES	C	3	Matthew Smith	11	55.5kg		98
12	1x3380x	MILLANE	C	3	Peter G Moody	12	55.5kg		72
13	038×342512	ON THE LEAD	G	5	Richard & Will Freedman	13	58.5kg		90
14	0726×11157	ASTON RAPOVA	G	5	Wayne Francis & Glen Kent	14	58.5kg		78
15	7x1x1224x2	FIRE	G	4	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	15	58.5kg		76

Table Credit: Racing Australia. 

Lightning Stakes History

First won by Gay Vista in 1955, the Lightning Stakes has attracted plenty of standout horses, jockeys and trainers. Bart Cummings has won the event a record eight times with Storm Queen in 1967, Century in 1974, Cap D’antibes in 1975, Maybe Mahal in 1977-78, Demus in 1983, Hula Chief in 1986 and Shaftsbury Avenue in 1991.

Jockey Harry White has won the Lightning Stakes on top of four horses, The Judge in 1979, Cap D’antibes in 1975, Zambari in 1972 and Black Onyx in 1970. Damien Oliver has also won four Lightning Stakes races with three horses; Schillaci in 1992-93, Gold Ace in 1996 and Testa Rossa in 2000. There have also been plenty of double winners starting with Sky High in 1961-62, Wenona Girl in 1963-64, Maybe Mahal in 1977-78, River Rough in 1984-85 and Schillci in 1992-93.

In 1980, the Lightning Stakes became a Group 2 race and then seven years later in 1987 it was elevated to Group 1 status.

The 2018 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes results produced a shock winner in Redkirk Warrior who ran down the odds-on favourite Redzel. Redkirk Warrior would go on to also successfully defend his title in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.

Trainer Chris Waller ran the quinella in the Black Caviar Lightning in both 2021 with Nature Strip and September Run, and 2022 with Home Affairs and Nature Strip.

Home Affairs made history with his upset win in 2022 becoming the first three-year-old Lightning Stakes winner in 17 years since the 2005 victory of Fastnet Rock.

The Lightning Stakes has been renamed the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes in honour of champion sprinter Black Caviar.

In 2023 Coolangatta became the first three-year-old filly to win the Lightning Stakes since Regimental Gal (2004).

Recent Lightning Stakes Winners

Year	Place	Horse	Time
2023 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Coolangatta	56.46 seconds
	2nd	I Wish I Win
	3rd	Bella Nipotina
2022 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Home Affairs	56.64 seconds
	2nd	Nature Strip
	3rd	Eduardo
2021 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Nature Strip	56.91 seconds
	2nd	September Run
	3rd	Swats That
2020 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Gytrash	57.53 seconds
	2nd	Redzel
	3rd	Loving Gaby
2019 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	In Her Time	56.69 seconds
	2nd	Osborne Bulls
	3rd	Sunlight
2018 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Redkirk Warrior	56.33 seconds
	2nd	Redzel
	3rd	Missrock
2017 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Terravista	57.26 seconds
	2nd	Spieth
	3rd	Star Turn
2016 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Chautauqua	57.02 seconds
	2nd	Terravista
	3rd	Japonisme
2015 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Lankan Rupee	56.29 seconds
	2nd	Brazen Beau
	3rd	Deep Field
2014 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Snitzerland	57.16 seconds
	2nd	Shamexpress
	3rd	Samaready
2013 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes	1st	Black Caviar	55.42 seconds
	2nd	Moment Of Change
	3rd	Golden Archer
2012 Lightning Stakes	1st	Black Caviar	55.53 seconds
	2nd	Hay List
	3rd	Buffering
2011 Lightning Stakes	1st	Black Caviar	57.20 seconds
	2nd	Hay List
	3rd	Warm Love
2010 Lightning Stakes	1st	Nicconi	57.12 seconds
	2nd	Wanted
	3rd	Shellscrape
2009 Lightning Stakes	1st	Scenic Blast	56.9 seconds
	2nd	Typhoon Zed
	3rd	Grand Duels
2008 Lightning Stakes	1st	Apache Cat	57.3 seconds
	2nd	Swick
	3rd	Stanzout
2007 Lightning Stakes	1st	Miss Andretti	57.2 seconds
	2nd	Magnus
	3rd	Ticklish
2006 Lightning Stakes	1st	Takeover Target	56.8 seconds
	2nd	Gods Own
	3rd	Cape Of Good Hope
2005 Lightning Stakes	1st	Fastnet Rock	57.3 seconds
	2nd	Alinghi
	3rd	Cape Of Good Hope
2004 Lightning Stakes	1st	Regimental Gal	57 seconds
	2nd	Our Egyptian Raine
	3rd	Mistegic
2003 Lightning Stakes	1st	Choisir	56.9 seconds
	2nd	Spinning Hill
	3rd	Azevedo
2002 Lightning Stakes	1st	Spinning Hill	57.1 seconds
	2nd	Mistegic
	3rd	Chong Tong
2001 Lightning Stakes	1st	Sports	57 seconds
	2nd	Black Bean
	3rd	Easy Rocking
2000 Lightning Stakes	1st	Testa Rossa	56 seconds
	2nd	Falvelon
	3rd	Magic Music