Coolangatta Eyes Royal Ascot After Black Caviar Victory

Connections of Coolangatta will contemplate a trip to Royal Ascot after the filly blitzed a classy field of elder rivals to win the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (G1) at Flemington Racecourse Feb. 18.

Faced off against odds-on favorite and champion sprinter Nature Strip , Coolangatta pushed through to share the lead with her illustrious counterpart and stablemate Marabi, and showed an electric turn of foot to keep the 8-year-old Nature Strip, who faded into sixth, at bay.

Coolangatta becomes the first filly in 19 years to win the Grade 1 Black Caviar Lightning. The three-year-old brings up her fifth win in start eight. @AdamMcGrath89 loved the return of I Wish I Win who has flashed home to finish second @FanDuelTV @SkyRacingWorld @FlemingtonVRC pic.twitter.com/8aivgE8w9l

— TVG (@TVG) February 18, 2023

Golden Eagle winner I Wish I Win finished second, a long neck from the winner, with Manikato Stakes (G1) heroine Bella Nipotina a half length from the winner in third.

Nature Strip proved to be an emphatic winner of the King’s Stand Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot last year, and it is in that direction that trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace could aim Coolangatta.

“Unbelievable, she was so impressive,” Eustace said. “She traveled into it so well. She’s had a faultless prep. The team has done an amazing job with all three (Coolangatta, Marabi and Bella Nipotina). It’s a great thrill.

“We were really confident she’d improved. Physically she’s bigger and stronger. She’s heavier, and we thought she’d improved from the spring to now and from two to three.

“With that in mind, this had been the race targeted for a long while now. It’s just fantastic to get another winner for Ozzie (Kheir) and John (O’Neill).

“Ozzie is on the sofa—that is where we like him. They tend to win when he’s on the couch and John is leading them in. They don’t tend to win when he’s here on course.

“A really well-judged and timed ride from Jamie (Kah). She let her travel deep into the race and didn’t push the button too soon, and she was pretty convincing."

In earning her second group 1 success after victory in the Moir Stakes (G1) in the spring, Coolangatta takes her prize-money earnings through the AU$3 million barrier.

“From here, the dream would be Royal Ascot for everyone involved," Eustace said. "She’s shown she likes the straight and I think everyone in the group would be keen to go there."

Chris Waller, trainer of Nature Strip, suggested the star gelding would continue with his preparation unless ‘a problem’ is found

“Yes, unless we’ve found a problem,” Waller told Racing.com. “If we find a problem, then it’s all over, but we are not thinking like that today.

“There was nothing that James (McDonald) could categorically feel or anything like that. He didn’t pull up sore, but we’ll obviously see how he is tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday.”