What a magnificent record the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes has, with Coolangatta to the sixth race winner that can go onto claim the King’s Stand Stakes of 5 furlongs at Royal Ascot.
In coming off a last start victory in the Black Caviar Lightning of 1000m at Flemington, she is now the $4.20 Betr second favourite, again to ridden by Sydney’s champion James McDonald.
Still a 3yo, she previously came off a 14 week spell for a good 3½ length fifth in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, having earlier won the AJ Moir Stakes of 1000m and third in the McEwan Stakes.
In an outstanding juvenile season when scoring a courageous head victory in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic of 1000m, she went onto be third in the $5m Golden Slipper Stakes to Fireburn.
In also winning the BJ McLachlan Stakes and Gimcrack Stakes as an early juvenile, Coolangatta is trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace now winning 5 of 8 starts and $3m in stakes.
A $280,000 graduate of the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Milburn Creek Stud, she’s by champion sire Written Tycoon from the winning More Than Ready mare Piping Hot.
A half-sister to the good winner Snitzonfire, its Piping Hot who’s from the Group 2 winner Ribe, also the dam of Blue Diamond Stakes winner and sire Reaan, the family of Acetate, Pontiac Lass.
Being bred by Highclere Stud Australia through John and Caroline Warren, its John Warren who is the King’s Racing Manager and Caroline’s father Lord Porchester as the Queen’s Racing Manager.
In fact, Highclere went onto sell Coolangatta’s dam Piping Hot at the Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale for $3m to Tom Magnier of Coolmore Australia, in foal to the pre-potent I Am Invincible.
At $20 with Betr is the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Cannonball also for the King’s Stand Stakes with Brett Pebble in the saddle, having been a last start 1½ length third in The Galaxy.
In previously winning the Maurice McCarten Stakes of 1100m, and two wins at two years including the Redoute’s Doubts Stakes, he was a $975,000 yearling buy for James Herron Bloodstock.
Consigned by Newgate Farm at the 2020 Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he’s by the Champion 2YO and outstanding young sire Capitalist, being from the Snitzel stakes winner Golconda.
With Golconda also being second in the VRC Oaks, she’s also dam of Rubiton Stakes winner Marine One, with her dam Eureka Jewel being winner of the AV Kewney Stakes, also dam of Sermon.
But what of the magnificent Black Caviar herself, who in winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes in 2012, had won the Lightning Stakes on three occasions, the last two as the Black Caviar Lightning.
And what of the five King’s Stand Stakes and Black Caviar Lightning race winners being headed by last year’s outstanding winner Nature Strip, also ridden by James McDonald, alias ‘J Mac.’
In fact, the Chris Waller trained Nature Strip secured his second World’s Champion Sprinter title in the hands of James McDonald, based on winning the King’s Stand Stakes and TJ Smith Stakes.
In being ranked 126 on the Longines World Best Racehorse listing for 2022 and in 2021 on 124, it was James McDonald who was crowned the Longines Word’s Best Jockey for 2022 on 142 points.
There is no doubting that Choisir in 20003 certainly made headlines in first winning the King’s Stand Stakes and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes for Paul Perry, having also won the Lightning Stakes.
In retiring to Coolmore Stud in both Australia and Ireland, Choisir sired Starspanglebanner to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes, who intern sired the Prince of Wales’s Stakes winner State of Rest.
In 2003 Joe Janick had Newmarket winner Takeover Target win the King’s Stand Stakes and third in the Golden Jubilee, and over the next two years was second and fourth each in both events.
Trainer Lee Freedman had Australian Horse of The Year Miss Andretti complete the Newmarket-King’s Stand Stakes double in 2007, while the 2009 winner Scenic Blast was also crowned Australian Horse of The Year in winning both the Lightning and Newmarket Handicap.
