WITH a fourth and seventh in the past two Everests, it was third time lucky for Nature Strip, as the Nicconi gelding struck a dynamic win in Saturday’s A$15 million sprint over 1,200 metres at Randwick.

A crowd of around 10,000 were in attendance, the maximum allowed under present Covid restrictions, and as the chorus of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline filled the loudspeakers post-race, the crowd were in fine voice.