Concorde Stakes: Nature Strip has bookies taking no risks in betting

Nature Strip will be at “Winx-like odds” when he clashes with Gytrash in the Group 3 $160,000 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

TAB Fixed Odds price assessors have framed an all-in market on the Concorde with Nature Strip at $1.40 favourite to make a winning comeback to racing — even though the super sprinter has been beaten when resuming at his two previous preparations.

Gytrash is next in Concorde betting at $3.50. The ­Adelaide sprinter upset a first-up Nature Strip (fourth) in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes this year.

Nominations for the Concorde have been extended with only six early entries including Ball Of Muscle, Dirty Work, Fiesta and Splintex.

WALLER’S CHELMSFORD STRANGLEHOLD

Chris Waller, trainer of ­Nature Strip, has 11 of the 23 ­nominations for the Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m).

Waller, who is chasing his sixth Chelmsford in eight years, has entered Brimham Rocks, Danzdanzdance, ­Finche, Kinane, Kolding, Life Less Ordinary, Miss Sentimental, Mister Sea Wolf, Shared Ambition, Wu Gok and Yulong Prince.

Verry Elleegant, winner of the Winx Stakes when resuming last month, wasn’t among the stable’s Chelmsford entries with Waller keeping the mare fresh for the Group 1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on September 19.

Godolphin’s Avilius has been installed as the $3.50 favourite to win the Chelmsford ahead of stablemate Colette plus Angel Of Truth, Miss Siska and Zebrowski, all at $8.

WON’T BE SEEING YOU SOON

Promising filly See You Soon has run her last race after she again refused to be loaded into the barriers at the Rosehill Gardens trials session on Monday morning.

Trainer Jean Dubois said See You Soon is too valuable to risk and would be retired to stud, just in time for this spring breeding season.

TREKKING ON THE BURST

Trekking, also from the Godolphin stable, was the star turn at the Rosehill Gardens trials on Monday morning.

A minor placegetter in The Everest last year and winner of the Group 1 The Goodwood beating Gytrash in May, Trekking was having his first trial of the new season and after travelling wide in his 896m heat forged clear under Josh Parr to beat the smart Greyworm by a half length.

The training partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace produced another of their gun three-year-olds at the trials session with the classy Prague impressing with a half-length win.

Team Hawkes had four winners at the trials from Testifer, Artic, Little White Lies and Jenga, and trainer Gary Moore produced three good heat winners with Petronius, Princess Zeddy and Private Cheetah.