The Lightning Stakes is a Group 1 weight-for-age race that takes place in February each year at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne the Melbourne autumn racing carnival. The race is run over the sprint distance of 1000 metres with prizemoney of $750,000. The 2011 Lightning Stakes was won by Black Caviar from Hay List with Warm Love third.

One of the most anticpated weight-for-age sprint races of the autumn in Melbourne, the Lightning Stakes is held alongside the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes and Group 3 Vanity Stakes, both for three-year-olds.

Lightning Stakes info
Date:	Saturday 18th February 2012
Track:	Flemington racecourse, Melbourne
Distance:	1000 metres
Race Type:	Weight-for-age
Status:	Group 1
Prizemoney:	$750,000
2011 Winner:	Black Caviar

The Lightning Stakes is the premier weight-for-age 1000m sprint event of the Flemington autumn carnival and always attracts the better gallopers going around. The race has been won by many of Australia's best sprinters over the years and more often than not it will be taken out by a top class racehorse as evidenced by the quality of recent winners Black Caviar (2011), Scenic Blast (2009), Apache Cat (2008), Miss Andretti (2007) and Takeover Target (2006).

The Lightning is run down the Flemington '1000m' straight course with no turns involved and suits some horses more than others. Horses with an affinity for the Flemington track or proven down the straight are ones to consider when assessing the form for this race.

The Gr2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley in January is a typical lead up race to this event as its raced under the same weight-for-age conditions, although Redelva (1990) was the last horse to win both races in the same year.

Horses contesting this race may head on to races like the Gr1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on Super Saturday of Racing in March, just as champion mare Black Caviar did after winning this race to take out the Lightning Stakes & Newmarket handicap double.

The weight-for-age Gr1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley in March is another option for sprinters contesting this event, while the better gallopers from this race may consider tackling the Gr1 Oakleigh Plate on Blue Diamond Stakes day at Caulfield.

Black Caviar (2011) resumed from a spell to score one of the easiest Group 1 wins down the Flemington straight and recent Lightning Stakes winners have been Nicconi (2010) and Scenic Blast (2009).

2011 Lightning Stakes result
1. $1.28 Black Caviar 56.5 L Nolen
2. $5.50 Hay List 58.5 G Schofield
3. $81.00 Warm Love 53.5 B Melham

then followed
4. $31.00 Grand Duels 58.5 S Arnold
5. $18.00 Crystal Lily 53.5 D Oliver
6. $81.00 True Persuasion 58.5 C Newitt
7. $31.00 King Pulse 58.5 M Zahra
8. $201.00 Leapfrog 58.5 P Hammersley
9. $101.00 Tollesprit 58.5 J Winks

Margins: 3 1/4 len, 1 3/4 len
Time: 57.20

Global Sprint Challenge

The Lightning Stakes is the first leg of the 'Global Sprint Challenge' which is a series of eight sprint races run in Hong Kong, Australia, England and Japan. The Australian legs of the series are the Gr1 Lightning Stakes held at Flemington in January and the Gr1 Patinack Farm Classic held on the final day of the Flemington spring carnival in November.

Global Sprint Challenge races
Gr1 Lightning Stakes - Flemington Racecourse - Australia - January
Gr1 King's Stand Stakes - Royal Ascot - England - June
Gr1 Golden Jubilee Stakes - Royal Ascot - England - June
Gr1 July Cup - Newmarket Racecourse - England - July
Gr2 Centaur Stakes - Hanshin Racecourse - Japan - September
Gr1 Sprinters Stakes - Nakayama Racecourse - Japan - October
Gr1 Patinack Farm Classic - Flemington Racecourse - Australia - November
Gr1 Hong Kong Sprint - Sha Tin Racecourse - Hong Kong - December

The Champion Sprinter trophy is awarded to the connections of the horse that accumulates 42 points or more in a single season, and participates in challenge races in at least three countries. Challenge winners since the Global Series inception have been Cape of Good Hope (2005), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) and Apache Cat (2008), Scenic Blast (2009) and Starspangledbanner (2010).

Lightning Stakes recent winners & placegetters

Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Black Caviar	Hay List	Warm Love	0:57.2
2010	Nicconi	Wanted	Shellscrape	0:57.1
2009	Scenic Blast	Typhoon Zed	Grand Duels	0:56.9
2008	Apache Cat	Swick	Stanzout	0:57.3
2007	Miss Andretti	Magnus	Ticklish	0:57.2
2006	Takeover Target	Gods Own	Cape Of Good Hope	0:56.8
2005	Fastnet Rock	Alinghi	Cape Of Good Hope	0:57.3
2004	Regimental Gal	Our Egyptian Raine	Mistegic	0:57.0
2003	Choisir	Spinning Hill	Azevedo	0:56.9
2002	Spinning Hill	Mistegic	Chong Tong	0:57.1
2001	Sports	Black Bean	Easy Rocking	0:57.0
2000	Testa Rossa	Falvelon	Magic Music	0:56.0
1999	Isca	Toledo	Scandinavia	0:57.6
1998	General Nediym	Notoire	Show No Emotion	0:57.9
1997	Mahogany	Cangronde	Spartacus	0:57.0
1996	Gold Ace	Strategic	Sequalo	0:56.9
1995	Mahogany	Alannon	Keltrice	0:56.9
1994	Keltrice	Schillaci	Kenvain	0:56.1
1993	Schillaci	Clever Zoe	Oozook	0:56.0
1992	Schillaci	Umatilla	Wrap Around	0:55.9
1991	Shaftesbury Avenue	Bureaucracy	Lightning Bend	0:57.4
1990	Redelva	Show County	Strawberry Ranch	0:57.0
1989	Zeditave	Special	Clay Hero	0:56.5
1988	Special	Snippets	Redelva	0:55.5