Lightning Stakes

Winners and Past Results of the Lightning Stakes (see Black Caviar Lightning).

Lightning Stakes: Throughout the autumn, punters around the Australian continent are treated to some of the best horse racing carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne where all the action takes place on the race tracks at Flemington, Caulfield, and Randwick among others.

One of the major races hosted by the Victoria Racing Club at the Flemington race track is the Group 1 Lightning Stakes. The 1000 meter sprint race held in mid-February is the first event that is part of the Global Sprint Challenge.

Run under weight for age conditions the open race offers a significant purse of $750,000.

As part of the Global Sprint Challenge that includes other stake races in England, Hong Kong, and Japan, the Lightning Stakes attracts the cream of sprinters.

The race is one of the major attractions of the much awaited and anticipated racing carnival in Melbourne. Flemington's 1000 metre straight to the finish line favours the stronger sprinters used to the Flemington track.

The Group 2 Australia Stakes held earlier at Moonee Valley Racecourse under the same conditions is usually a warm up race leading up to the Lightning Stakes for many horses although it hasn't produced too many doubles with Redelva being the last to win both in 1990.

Horses may enter the race after tackling the 1100 M Group 3 Rubiton Stakes and the 1400 M Carlyon Cup held at Caulfield Racecourse a week earlier. These races are a good form guide for punters.

Horses performing well in the Lightning Stakes may fancy contesting in the million dollar 1200 Metres Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington Racecourse in March. Champion mare Black Caviar won both the events in 2011. The Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley in March may be next on the cards for better performing sprinters while some may choose to compete in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes day.

In recent years, many of the top sprinters to blaze the Australian race tracks have won the Lightning Stakes, which includes Miss Andretti, Apache Cat, and Scenic Blast between 2007-09.

The first Lightning Stakes was held in 1955 as a principal race and was then a Group 2 race between 1980 and 1986.

Since 1987 it has been one of prestigious Group 1 races.

Black Caviar went on to win every race she entered in the 2011 season which includes the Group 1 William Reid at Moonee Valley, TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick and BTC Cup at Doomben Racecourse and continued her glorious run after a spell to end the year with another three victories, which included the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington.