The Global Sprint Challenge is a Thoroughbred horse racing series inaugurated in 2005 as a series of now 8 sprint races run across three racing jurisdictions in Australia, England, Japan and Hong Kong.

The Champion Sprinter trophy is awarded to the connections of the horse that accumulates 42 points or more in a single season, and participates in challenge races in at least three countries.

The Global Sprint Challenge Champion is eligible to win a $US1,000,000 bonus for connections, provided the champion wins a minimum of three Group 1 races in the series in three different countries. Important changes to the series for 2009 will see the $US1,000,000 bonus being split $US750,000 to the owner and $US250,000 to the trainer and there is now no necessity to race in all four countries to be eligible for the bonus.

The race in Melbourne this weekend is the $500,000 Gr1 Coolmore Lightning Stakes (1000m). Amonf the starters is the winner of last year's series, Apache Cat

The complete series of races in the Global Sprint Challenge: