Black Caviar Lightning attracts star-studded field

Home Affairs ridden by James McDonald wins the 2022 Black Caviar Lightning. (Pat Scala/Racing Photos)

The Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington has attracted a star-studded field of 11 sprinters vying for the $1 million on offer.

Headlining the field is nine-time Group 1 winner Nature Strip, who is set to kick off his autumn campaign once again in the 1000m scamper.

The world’s top sprinter will be looking to go one better than his narrow defeat to Home Affairs in the 2022 edition of the race.

He will also be aiming to win the Lightning for a second time, having won the event in 2021 under Jamie Kah.

James McDonald will need to be at his very best aboard the Strip, who has drawn the undesirable barrier one down the Flemington straight.

Roch ‘N’ Horse will be looking to cause another upset as he returns to the Flemington straight for the first time since his upset win over Nature Strip in the Champions Sprint during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

Coolangatta is one of a trio of three-year-olds in the race and will be looking to add to her win in the Moir Stakes last spring, where she used a favourable draw and light weight to her advantage to claim Group 1 glory against her older rivals.

For the first time since the William Reid Stakes, boom sprinter Marabi is set for a return to the track and will be out to add the Black Caviar Lightning to an already impressive record which includes the Oakleigh Plate as part of her seven wins in an eight-start career to date.

Another kicking off their autumn is last year’s Golden Eagle winner, I Wish I Win, who is something of a surprise inclusion in what will be a high-tempo 1000m scamper.

Proven Flemington performers September Run and Baller will be looking to cause somewhat of an upset, as will up-and-coming colt Buenos Noches, who ran The Everest winner Giga Kick to within a nostril in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes last spring.

2023 Black Caviar Lightning Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Nature Strip	Chris Waller	James McDonald	1	58.5kg
2	I Wish I Win	Peter Moody	Luke Nolen	4	58.5kg
3	Baller	Tony Gollan	Mark Zahra	8	58.5kg
4	Fire	Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes	Damien Oliver	3	58.5kg
5	Bella Nipotina	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Melham	7	56.5kg
6	Roch ‘N’ Horse	Mike Moroney	Jamie Mott	2	56.5kg
7	September Run	Chris Waller	Blake Shinn	5	56.5kg
8	Marabi	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Ben Allen	5	56.5kg
9	Buenos Noches	Matthew Smith	Craig Williams	11	55.5kg
10	Millane	Peter Moody	Daniel Stackhouse	10	55.5kg
11	Coolangatta	Ciaron Maher & David Eustace	Jamie Kah	9	53.5kg