Kean's focus firmly on feature sprint at Flemington

Cromwell racing enthusiast and rugby administrator Peter Kean will give Otago a link to one of the Melbourne Cup carnival's most exciting races when Nature Strip starts in the VRC Sprint at Flemington tomorrow.

Nature Strip, trained by Chris Waller, is the second-favourite in the $A2million ($NZ2.16million) 1200m race following his huge effort for fourth from an outside draw in the world's richest sprint, The Everest.

Feature-race success would be nothing new for Kean, who serves on the board of New Zealand Rugby. His interest in racing horses in Victoria links to his four-year stint running a subsidiary of brewing giant Lion from 2011.

Kean landed in a syndicate of Australian and New Zealand owners that has raced several smart horses including Stradbroke Handicap winner Under the Louvre, Under The Eiffel, the winner of more than $600,000, and Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate runner Night's Watch.

Nature Strip's racing style means his profile alone overshadows the rest of Kean's racing interests. Stable changes, short-priced dividends, front-running tactics and social media conjecture have made the sprinter one of the most talked-about horses in Australasia.

Kean said it had been an eventful ride.

"It has been very unique. I guess the there are a lot of doubters with him. He's polarised people. His racing style can certainly have you on the edge of your seat.

"He has certainly given us more joy than heartache, but you have to be aware that you can never be sure just which Nature Strip turns up."

Kean shares in the ownership of the exciting sprinter with now former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.

"Steve and I first met through Gordon Hunter, when I was first tied up with the Otago rugby team," Kean said.

"We got talking horses and he asked the question - he said he loves horses but races most of them in New Zealand - what are the chances of getting him in our syndicate?

"We had to wait a while because we had similar people in for quite a while, so it was a few years later when there was a gap and he came in."

Should Nature Strip race as he did in The Everest he should be highly competitive tomorrow

but he has again drawn the widest possible barrier.

"We don't know which side [of the straight] is going to be the better-running side, so if it is the inside he is going to have to work across the field again like he did in The Everest," Kean said.

The favourite is Santa Ana Lane ($2.15), who was second in The Everest.

Regardless of the result, Kean will be proud of his slick sprinter.

"It's been a doubled-edged sword in that it's been fun and we have made a few bob.

"To have won two group 1s and run second in another couple, it speaks for the horse and the joy and fun he has brought us."

Kean will also be represented by Night's Watch, who clashes with star New Zealand mare Melody Belle in tomorrow's Mackinnon Stakes.

 

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