Nature Strip Powers to Electric King's Stand Win

Australian champion Nature Strip  blasted away from his rivals June 14 to win the King's Stand Stakes (G1) in emphatic fashion for James McDonald and Chris Waller.

It was the first Australian victory at the royal meeting since Black Caviar won the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1), although both rider and trainer hail from New Zealand.

There was high drama at the start as Mondammej failed to load into the stalls and Khaadem  unseated his jockey after the gates opened. Golden Pal , the favorite, missed the break.

Nature Strip took control from a long way out and kept up the gallop to win by a wide margin. Twilight Calls  was second and Acklam Express  third at odds of 200-1.

"He's an absolute freak of a horse," said the rider. "I think he's silenced a few critics because that was scintillating.

"With the riderless horse, I didn't even realize he was riderless and I thought, 'How has anything gone with him?'

"At the two-pole I was thinking 'Are you going to come?' to (Golden Pal), but he didn't."