The Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) headlines Saturday’s meeting at Flemington, bringing together some of the country’s fastest sprinters in a rare elite-level dash over the straight course. The race will see top three-year-olds take on established stars in a key early-season sprint contest.
Leading the charge is Switzerland, the Coolmore Stud Stakes winner, with James McDonald booked to ride. Yulong’s promising colt Growing Empire will be ridden by Mark Zahra, while Traffic Warden, one of Godolphin’s rising sprint stars, has Jamie Mott in the saddle. Espionage, another exciting three-year-old, adds intrigue with Craig Williams aboard.
Among the seasoned contenders, I Am Me (Blake Shinn) and Benedetta (Daniel Stackhouse) bring strong form, while Mazu, Mornington Glory, and Stretan Angel add depth to the field. Estriella is likely to bypass the race in favour of the Oakleigh Plate next week at Caulfield.
Black Caviar Lightning Stakes Likely Field
| No | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAZU | J Pride | B Melham |
| 2 | MORNINGTON GLORY | G Bedggood | E Brown |
| 3 | WAY TO THE STARS | M Smith | |
| 4 | JOYFUL FORTUNE | B, W & JD Hayes | H Coffey |
| 5 | PHILOSOPHER | E Jusufovic | M Dee |
| 6 | I AM ME | C Maher | B Shinn |
| 7 | BENEDETTA | J Warren | D Stackhouse |
| 8 | STRETAN ANGEL | P Stokes | L Neindorf |
| 9 | GROWING EMPIRE | C Maher | M Zahra |
| 10 | SWITZERLAND | C Waller | J McDonald |
| 11 | TRAFFIC WARDEN | J Cummings | J Melham |
| 12 | ESPIONAGE | G Waterhouse & A Bott | C Williams |
