The Lightning Stakes is a Group 1 Weight-for-age race held late January early February annually at Flemington racecourse in Melbourne. The race is the first Group 1 event held in Melbourne for the new year and is run over the sprint distance of 1000 metres with prizemoney of $500,000. The 2010 Lightning Stakes was won by Nicconi from Wanted with Shellscrape third.
| Lightning Stakes info |
| Date: |
Saturday 30th January 2010 |
| Track: |
Flemington racecourse, Melbourne |
| Distance: |
1000 metres |
| Race Type: |
Weight-for-age |
| Status: |
Group 1 |
| Prizemoney: |
$500,000 |
| 2010 Winner: |
Nicconi |
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.
The Lightning takes place 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 at the track & trip are ones to consider when assessing the form for this race.
The Gr2 Australia Stakes (1200m WFA) at Moonee Valley is the most common lead up race to this event and horses from this race may head on to races like the Gr3 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on CF Orr Stakes day the next weekend or the Gr1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in a fortnight.
The better sprinters from this race will most likely tackle the Gr1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) in three weeks time on Blue Diamond Stakes day at Caulfield.
Nicconi (2009) produced a big finish to win this race when resuming from a spell and in recent times the Lightning Stakes winners have been Scenic Blast (2009), Apache Cat (2008) and Miss Andretti in 2007.
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 in 2008.
2010 Lightning Stakes result
1. $5.00 Nicconi 58.5 D Oliver
2. $9.00 Wanted 55 B Rawiller
3. $9.00 Shellscrape 55.0 C Brown
Then followed:
4. $3.90 Starspangledbanner 55.0 D Nikolic
5. $9.00 Headway 53.0 L Nolen
6. $14.00 Duporth 58.5 S W Arnold
7. $101.00 Seeking Attention 56.5 T Clark
8. $5.50 Burdekin Blues 58.5 S Scriven
9. $21.00 Cannonball 58.5 P A Valenzuela
10. $41.00 Honest Truth 55.0 M Rodd
11. $21.00 Governance 55.0 K Mc Evoy
Margins: Lg hd, len
Time: 0:57.12
2010 Lightning Stakes: Burdekin Blues led them up before weaking around the 200m, when Wanted eventually ran to the lead and looked the winner until Nicconi produced a barnstorming finish to claim Wanted (second) close to home. Shellscrape got home nicely to run third, just ahead of Starspangledbanner.
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Lightning Stakes recent winners & placegetters
| Year |
Winner |
2nd |
3rd |
Time |
|
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 |
