Alizee heads Canterbury Stakes entries

Alizee will try to win her fourth Group One race in the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.

Godolphin’s Alizee heads the nine entries for the Group One Canterbury Stakes at Randwick where she will attempt to add to the winning record of mares over the past decade.

New Zealander The Bostonian has been added to the original eight nominations taken on Monday morning.

A triple Group One winner, Alizee can put her name up with Hot Danish (2010), More Joyous (2011, 2012), Appearance (2014) and Cosmic Endeavour (2015) as mares to win the 1300m-race on Saturday.

Alizee made a winning return in the Group Two Apollo Stakes with Appearance the last horse to complete the double.

The nominations include three-year-old colt Exceedance who is also in the mix for Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap at Flemington for which he is the second favourite.

Former Newmarket favourite Nature Strip is back in Sydney after his Lightning Stakes failure and will head to Saturday’s Group Two Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick.

The talented but headstrong Nature Strip weakened to run fourth after leading the Lightning won by Gytrash.

“He’s pulled up well,” trainer Chris Waller said.

“The horse was too fresh first-up.

“We tried to restrain him early in the prep last spring but I think we just gave him half a chance in the Lightning to run quick and he took advantage of it.

“He’s well.We galloped him at Flemington last week and he’s back in Sydney. He will have a gallop Tuesday and be ready to go in the Challenge.

“We will be trying to switch him off and get him to relax, whether it’s three lengths in front or outside the leader.

“We will be riding our own race and not worrying about anything else.”

Among his other runners on the day, Waller will saddle Mister Sea Wolf in the Canterbury Stakes for his first start since he took out the $1 million The Gong in November.