Racing: Royal Ascot new test for Steve Hansen and Nature Strip

Sprint star Nature Strip at Melbourne Airport before he was loaded on the plane to England. Photo / Getty Images

All Blacks coaching legend Sir Steve Hansen says the pressure of coaching on rugby's biggest stage is different from being an owner at Royal Ascot this week.

Hansen and some of his closest Kiwi mates share in the ownership of champion sprinter Nature Strip, one of the favourites for Wednesday's King's Stand Stakes at the famous Royal Ascot meeting outside London.

Nature Strip takes on US speed freak Golden Pal in the early hours of Wednesday in what will be the international highlight on the opening day of the five-day meeting.

Trained by expat Kiwi Chris Waller and ridden by the jockey many think could be New Zealand's greatest in James McDonald, Nature Strip is Aussie bred but will also fly the New Zealand flag.

Nature Strip has already won the A$14 million Everest in Sydney this season, so the King's Stand is far more about prestige than the money, and Hansen knows this is the greatest stage.

"Having been in racing my whole life, I know how big a deal this is," he told the Herald.

"Very few owners get to have a horse as good as the big fella, so to be able to bring him to Royal Ascot is something incredibly rare.

"For me personally to be able to experience that with not only the other owners but great mates like Peter Kean and Paddy Harrison is really special."

Hansen, who has been working in Japan, has only seen Nature Strip race once, for a win, and admits to pre-race nerves vastly different from sending the All Blacks out to battle.

"With coaching, you are at least part of the planning and preparation to get the players where they need to be, but with racing, with this horse, that is Chris' job and we can't help in any way.

"I suppose what Chris is doing is a little bit like what I was doing, except his athletes can't talk, so he needs to be very observant.

"We know we have a great horse and two great Kiwi horsemen in Chris and J Mac, so now our job as owners is to turn up and enjoy it. But I'll be nervous all right."

At least Hansen doesn't have to worry about the one result all owners attending Royal Ascot dream of, a victory leading to meeting the Queen.

"I have been lucky enough through my coaching career to meet Her Majesty three times already. She is a remarkable woman."