News

Bigger Challenge begins Saturday

18th Feb 2011

Stallions - Michelle Cullen - Friday, 18 February 2011

An enhanced Global Sprint Challenge now taking in elite sprint races across five nations will commence in spectacular style this Saturday at Flemington.

The Group 1 $750,000 Coolmore Lightning Stakes (1000m) is the first of two Australian legs in the internationally acclaimed series and is headlined by World Champion sprinter Black Caviar.

First conducted in 2005, the Global Sprint Challenge is the world’s richest sprint series taking in races across Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and for the first time in 2011, Singapore.

Singapore’s premier turf sprint, the KrisFlyer International Sprint (1200m) at Kranji Racecourse on 22 May, has been added, further strengthening the series’ worldwide appeal.

It takes to nine the number of races in the 2011 Global Sprint Challenge which collectively boasts $US10.8 million in prize money and offers international acclaim for horses and connections.

As part of the enhancements for the 2011 series all races will carry Group 1 status, following the substitution of one of two races held in Japan.

September’s Group 2 Centaur Stakes (1200m) at Hanshin Racecourse has been replaced by the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) on 27 March. The Takamatsunomiya Kinen is held annually at Japan’s Chukyo Racecourse, but with the track under renovation in 2011, the sprint will be held this year at Hanshin.

The 2011 Global Sprint Challenge will once again carry a lucrative bonus for any horse that can excel across multiple jurisdictions.

Any horse that can win three races in three different countries outside their own racing jurisdiction will collect a $US1 million bonus to be split 75% to the owners and 25% to the trainer.

Global Sprint Challenge Chairman, Leigh Jordon, said, “The Global Sprint Challenge enters an exciting new phase of growth in 2011 with the introduction of Singapore’s KrisFlyer International Sprint further strengthening both the quality and appeal of the series.

“With the changes to the Japanese legs and the addition of Singapore, we have now a better spread of races throughout the calendar year and indeed across the globe which we hope will foster further competition between the world’s best sprinters.

“The Coolmore Lightning Stakes which opens this year’s Global Sprint Challenge has proven an important springboard for Australian horses contesting later legs, particularly in the UK, and thus Saturday’s race will command attention in racing jurisdictions around the world.

“Four of the past five winners of the Lightning Stakes went on to contest Global Sprint Challenge races in the UK later that year, whilst the other, Apache Cat, contested the Hong Kong leg. We’re hopeful that this year’s winner will continue the tradition and compete on the world stage.”

Three of the past five Lightning Stakes winners – Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) and Scenic Blast (2009) – have gone on to win the King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot, after Choisir blazed a trail for Australian sprinters completing the double in 2003.

Last year’s Lightning Stakes winner Nicconi finished fourth in the King’s Stand Stakes, whilst Starspangledanner progressed from a fourth placing in the 2010 Lightning Stakes to win the other two UK legs of the Global Sprint Challenge, the Golden Jubilee Stakes and Darley July Cup.

Australian-trained or bred sprinters won five of the eight legs of the 2010 Global Sprint Challenge, whilst Australian-bred Kinsasha no Kiseki features as the winner of the 2010 Takamatsunomiya Kinen, the last edition before its introduction into this year’s series.

With Black Caviar heading an impressive list of Australian sprinters that includes equine giant Hay List and smart three-year-old Star Witness, 2011 shapes as another defining year for the nation’s fastest thoroughbreds, both locally and on the world stage.

The Coolmore Lightning Stakes will be run at 4.10pm (AEST) this Saturday with the Peter Moody trained and Luke Nolen-ridden Black Caviar the commanding favourite in a field of 10.

Black Caviar was a winner of the seventh leg of the 2010 Global Sprint Challenge, Flemington’s Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m), at her most recent start on 6 November last year.