A deal has been struck that will see Nature Strip run for Chris Waller Racing in The Everest.

Having contested the past two editions of The Everest, Nature Strip will this year run in the slot held by his trainer Chris Waller. The announcement was made on Tuesday that the dual Group 1 T J Smith winning sprinter would run for Chris Waller Racing in this year’s $15 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 16.

Nature Strip has finished fourth and seventh respectively in the past two editions of The Everest, but after his scintillating win in the T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick on April 10 an agreement was reached with the owners of Nature Strip to represent the slot.

“Following his scintillating victory in the TJ Smith last weekend I felt it was an opportune time to be putting a deal forward to secure him for 2021,” Waller said.

“He has shown me he has gone to another level this autumn with a victory in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes, going down by a nostril in the Challenge in track record time and then blowing away his rivals last start at Randwick in the T J Smith.”

Rod Lyons, the managing part-owner of the sprinter who has won 16 of his 30 starts and more than $8 million in prize money, was ecstatic that Waller had selected Nature Strip for this year’s running of The Everest.

“We take an abundance of joy out of racing Nature Strip and being a part of Chris’ team, it was an apt decision to align with his slot for 2021,” Lyons said.

“Nature Strip has again showed us his capabilities as Australia’s best sprinter this autumn, and we eagerly await The Everest in October.”

The autumn campaign is not yet complete for Nature Strip who is Brisbane bound to run in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) on May 15.

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au