The 9-year-old gelding finished sixth in the G3 Concorde S. at Royal Randwick earlier in the day. Several of his owners, including Ron Lyons, were at the track when Waller made the announcement.

“I'm announcing Nature Strip's retirement on behalf of the owners… It's only fitting that we announce it as soon as the decision has been made,” Waller told Sky Sports Racing after the race.

“He came to the race sound and was trialling well; there had been no indication that race ability wasn't there, but he wasn't the same horse in the race today. The spark and acceleration weren't there. He's been such a champion horse.”

A winner of 22 of his 43 career starts, Nature Strip was named the Australian Horse of the Year twice in 2020 and 2022, while also racking up titles as the Australian Champion Male Sprinter (2020-2022), Champion Older Horse (2020 and 2022), and Champion Turf Male (2020). Also highly regarded in England from five to seven furlongs in 2022, the Golden Grove Stud Farm-bred won a total of nine top-level races, among them three editions of the T J Smith S. (2020-2022), the Sprint Classic in 2019 and 2021, the 2019 Moir S., 2021 Black Caviar Lightning, and the 2019 Galaxy. An A$90,000 RNA at the 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premiere Yearling Sale, he retires with a mark of 43-22-8-1 and $14,846,644 in earnings.

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The King Charles will run on Oct. 14 along with the world's second-richest Thoroughbred race, the A$20 million The Everest (which rises from A$15 million). The entire card offers prizemoney of nearly A$35 million and includes the A$2 million The Kosciuszko, the A$1 million Silver Eagle, the A$500,000 St Leger S. and the A$250,000 G3 Angst S. Previously, the George Main S. was held two weeks prior to the G1 Epsom H.

“The King Charles III Stakes creates a new level of excitement for the Sydney Everest Carnival, with a feature open-age mile race boosting an already mouth-watering Everest Day meeting,” Racing NSW Chairman Russell Balding said. “It is also befitting of Royal Randwick to have a feature race in spring named in honour of His Majesty, to complement the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in autumn, with Royal Randwick being Australia's only Royal Racecourse.

“At $20 million of prizemoney, The TAB Everest is now the second-richest race in the world and the richest race on turf. This further increase in prizemoney is not only recognition of The TAB Everest as being the highest-rated race in Australia, but also of the success this event has created in flow-on benefits throughout the entire NSW Thoroughbred industry for the whole of the year.”

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“As long as he's going well and he's healthy, that's definitely the plan,” Field said. “He was unluckily beaten last year in the Platinum Jubilee when he was held up at a vital stage, and I think he can go back there. There's no question he's got the ability, and he's more seasoned from the experience.”

Before Ascot, the 4-year-old is set to make his seasonal debut in the G1 Canterbury S. at Royal Randwick on Mar. 4. Leading Hong Kong jockey Zac Purton will be aboard and will ride in his native Australia for the first time since the 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup.

“Artorius is a very important horse to us,” Field said. “He has such an elite profile that we had to think outside the square rider-wise, and Zac is one of the dominant riders anywhere in the world right now. He's probably as good a rider as there's ever been in Hong Kong, and a very strong rider that we thought would suit Artorius nicely.”

Artorius was also third in the G1 Darley July Cup at Newmarket and hasn't run since a sixth-place finish in the G1 Arc Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Aug. 7.

The colt will likely return to Australia to contest the G1 Everest S. at Royal Randwick on Oct. 14 in what will likely be his final start in that richest sprint race the world has to offer at A$15.

“I'd say it will be very likely he'll be retired to stud at the end of this season, but I do genuinely believe he is a horse with enough natural ability to win an Everest, so those conversations will be had with the ownership group,” Field said.

Artorius has not won a race since taking the 2021 G1 Blue Diamond S. but has placed in five Group 1s. He won a trial race at Warwick Farm last week in preparation for his comeback. His career line stands at 14-2-3-4 and he has amassed A$1,808,349 in prize-money.

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The 40-year-old reinsman will pilot Group 1 winner Artorius (Aus) (Flying Artie {Aus}) in the G1 Canterbury S., the 2-year-old King's Gambit (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) in the G2 Todman S. and possibly Communist (Aus) (Russian Revolution {Aus}) in the G1 Randwick Guineas, all at Royal Randwick on Mar. 4.

“I am coming back to ride Artorius in the Canterbury Stakes and some other very good horses,” Purton told News Corp. “It works out well because I got suspended [Sunday] in Hong Kong and I start my suspension after I ride in Sydney, so maybe I can spend a bit of extra time there [in Australia.

Purton has won Group 1 races in five countries since he started riding in 2007.

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Marquand was forceably removed from his mount in the A$2-million Inglis Millennium due to interference from another rider, and was originally diagnosed with just a concussion. Subsequent MRI scans revealed a dislocated sternoclavicular joint.

“It has basically dislocated backwards, so I have to go for an operation today [Wednesday] to get it wired back in,” Marquand said in a video posted to Instagram.

“I will probably spend a week here now in Australia just because I can't fly straight after having an operation.

“Then the plan will be to come back to England and go through my rehab there and hope that I can get back in action by the time the last couple of days of The Championships are on and all being well, head back down to Sydney.”

Marquand's wife, fellow jockey Hollie Doyle, is also on the sidelines after dislocating her elbow last month, and she is set to have surgery next week.

He added, “Hollie is having a bit of a shocker as well, off with her elbow and she is going under the knife I think early next week.

“We will be in rehab and recuperation together and be a right pair so at least we've got two arms between us. It's obviously not ideal what's going on, but I think we can both count ourselves pretty lucky in the circumstances.”

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Marquand was riding trainer Annabel Neasham's Dorothy Gail (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}), and was unseated by a mid-race maneuver from the Josh Parr-ridden Hellish (Aus) (Hellbent {Aus}). Parr was suspended 20 meetings for the careless riding  incident.

“That was pretty horrible,” Neasham, who won the race with Learning To Fly (Aus) (Justify), told SKY Thoroughbred Central. “He [Marquand] is ok, he is sitting up, he is talking, he is holding his shoulder but he's okay. He's conscious, so he looks okay.”

Racing NSW later tweeted, “Tom's CT scan of his head is clear, however he does have concussion and will be staying in hospital overnight. So far the scans on his shoulder have been clear.”

Marquand, who has ridden with success in Australia several times, was due to ride in Qatar next weekend. He had won the day's first race, the Coolmore Pierro Plate, over 1100 metres aboard Café Millenium (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}).

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A winner of the G3 Superior Mile S. in England in 2020, the 6-year-old entire is out of the winning Countess Ferrama (GB) (Authorized {Ire}), a daughter of the dual Group 2 winner Madame Dubois (GB) (Legend Of France). Countess Ferrama is also a half-sister to G1 Gran Criterium winner Count Dubois (GB) (Zafonic), G1 Irish 2000 Guineas hero Indian Haven (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), and the stakes-placed dam of group winners Imperial Stride (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) and High Pitched (GB) (Indian Ridge {Ire}).

Dark Angel's good day was not limited to Top Ranked, as he also sired his 93rd stakes winner earlier in the day at Flemington, when Visinari (Fr), third in Newmarket's G2 July S. before being sold Down Under, claimed the Listed Paris Lane H.

Euro-breds also enjoyed a brace of near misses out of the highest drawer, with Le Don De Vie (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), bred like his paternal half-brother, the decorated Aussie Group 1 victor Zaaki (GB) by Kirsten Rausing, a nose back of No Compromise (NZ) (Pins {NZ}) in the Metropolitan H. at Randwick. The £460,000 Goffs London Sale alumni has joined the ranks of listed winners since switching to the Southern Hemisphere. Rausing has a great chance in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe with her homebred Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) on Sunday. Juddmonte-bred Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), second in May's G1 Doomben Cup, earned his second Group 1 placing in Flemington's Turnbull S. for an ownership group, of which Juddmonte is part-owner.

Godolphin homebred Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {GB}), a two-time Australian Group 1 victor, added the G2 Peter Young S. to his ledger, as well on Saturday.

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“Home Affairs has pulled up bright and well following the Newmarket H., however [he] does have some tightness across his back and hindquarters,” Chris Wall Racing said via Twitter on Tuesday. “We have therefore made the decision that rather than running in the T J Smith, he will have a quiet time over the next two weeks while we concentrate on a Northern Hemisphere campaign including Royal Ascot. We will keep you informed once plans are finalised.”

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The Invitation: A $2 million race for fillies and mares trained in Australia or New Zealand. A panel convened by Racing New South Wales extended invitations to an elite dozen fillies and mares. Contested at seven furlongs, The Invitation will be the 9th of ten races this Friday night with a post time of 11:35pm Pacific. Randwick is Track “A.” 

RSVP: Of the dozen who accepted their invitation, favoritism will be held by #6 Entriviere (9-5). Trained by New Zealand's most successful modern-day conditioner, Jamie Richards, this lightly raced 5-year-old debuted only 13 months ago. Since winning five of six in her homeland, Entriviere has a win from three Australian starts – with legitimate excuses for her two minor placings. Most recently, she was the beaten favorite in the G2 Golden Pendant, but raced in season (southern hemisphere Spring) and was ridden negatively from the outside gate. Her closing splits were the best of the day for seven furlongs at Rosehill. #7 Vangelic was the 5-1 Golden Pendant winner (and my Pick of the Night on TVG). Vangelic is again attractively priced at 7-1 for The Invitation, but meets Entriviere four pounds worse at the weights and will find it tougher to hold out the New Zealand mare on the roomier Randwick layout. Also at 7-1 is another hard-luck story from the Golden Pendant, #10 Icebath. After her close 4th-place finish, she suffered an even worse trip in the G1 Epsom Handicap (this time a losing Pick of the Night on TVG). Icebath has, in fact, been a luckless racehorse throughout her career and is thoroughly deserving of a rich prize. However, she now has to cut back from a mile while making her fifth start this campaign, whereas most rivals are fresher and specifically targeting The Invitation. Rain is predicted for race day, which would enhance Icebath's prospects. 

Selection: #6 Entriviere 

Longshot: #8 Rocha Clock (20-1) had a troubled trip resuming from a layoff, has excellent 2nd-up stats and is recommended for all exotics.

Supporting Stakes: Yet another relative newcomer to Sydney's racing calendar is the Bondi Stakes, a million-dollar race for 3-year-olds at a mile. #1 Hilal upset #2 Coastwatch in a recent G2 event. After being 8-1 and even-money respectively on that occasion, the pair are 5-2 equal favorites for this third running of the Bondi Stakes, Race 8 on Friday night's card. Should the track come up soft, #3 Royalzel (8-1) enters right into calculations.

Hot Trainer: Chris Waller's work with The Everest winner, Nature Strip, earns him the plaudits from last week. Waller has dual representation in The Invitation with #1 Madam Rouge (25-1) and #2 Nudge (12-1); he also puts the polish on Bondi Stakes co-favorite Coastwatch. 

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com. 

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Friday Night's Historic Feature: Sydney's “Royal Randwick” hosts one of Australia's time-honored handicaps this Friday night, when the G1 Epsom is contested for the 156th time. The  $1.5 million Epsom is emblematic of the tremendous value that Australian racing provides – both as a wagering medium and a sporting spectacle. A field of 17 will commence its mile journey from the top of Randwick's back stretch, at 11.05pm. Pacific time.

The Favorite: #9 Riodini (4-1) finished 3rd in this race last year and is favorite on the strength of two recent narrow defeats at weight-for-age, both at the Randwick Mile. He almost stole the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at 40-1, only to be grabbed in the last stride by Think It Over, before a gallant 2nd to champion mare Verry Elleegant in the G1 George Main Stakes. Kindly treated under handicap conditions, Riodini will forge his own luck in or near the front, and make the higher weighted horses run him down. His trainer, Gai Waterhouse, is tied with her legendary father, T.J. Smith, for most Epsom wins (7).

The Highweight: In Australia, program numbers do not correspond to post positions. Instead, fields are listed from highest to lowest weighted horses. As a dual-Group One winner, #1 Mo'unga has earned his highweight but must concede 12 pounds to Riodini. (Both have drawn wide gates, but post positions are not significant with a three-furlong run to the first turn.) Mo'unga was the first G1 winner for England native Annabel Neasham, a rising star in Australia's training ranks.

Contention Runs Deep: The field includes the trifecta horses from the Epsom's “sister” race, the Doncaster Mile (part of “The Championships at Randwick” each April). #2 Cascadian (12-1) rises seven pounds from his victory over #7 Icebath (8-1) and #3 Dalasan (14-1). Icebath's prospects are enhanced by the forecast for rain leading up to race day. #6 Hungry Heart (7-1) could have Springsteen fans swooning, but last season's top 3-year-old filly has shown a preference for firm footing.    

Selection: #7 Icebath

Supporting Stakes: 3-year-old fillies will also utilize Randwick's one-mile starting point in the G1 Flight Stakes. The G1 Metropolitan Handicap at 1-1/2 miles and a pair of Group Two races add depth to a stellar 10-race card, which includes the first 2-year-old race of the new Australian season (sponsored by Keeneland).

Hot Jocks: Nash Rawiller was last week's hot jockey, on the back of four wins the previous Friday night. Nash again got the cash, riding a triple and sharing the honors with Tim Clark. (One of Clark's three winners was my 5-1 Pick of the Night on TVG, Vangelic.)  

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:50pm ET / 6:50pm PT) alongside cards from Doomben, Newcastle and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, DRF Bets and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com. 

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