The results of Australia’s best sprint races are trending in a way that promises to reignite a debate about the machinations of a weight scale that has been the cornerstone of racing around the world for more than two centuries.
Mares have captured all but three of the 11 Group 1 sprint races up to 1200 metres open to all-comers in Australia so far in 2023/24.
Certainly, this statistic has been bolstered by the supremacy of the New Zealand mare Imperatriz and her victories in the Moir Stakes, the Manikato Stakes, the Champions Sprint, the Lightning Stakes and the William Reid Stakes.
But it would be imprudent to ignore the contributions of Chain Of Lightning (TJ Smith Stakes), Benedetta (The Goodwood) and Zapateo (The Galaxy) to a streak that might well run through the Queensland winter carnival.
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