Desert Lightning is set to strike at The Valley

[Wandering Eyes]

The Barneswood Farm team are waiting with bated breath as their Group One winner Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride of Dubai) gets set to make his debut for new trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman at The Valley on Saturday.

The Pride of Dubai gelding was a standout for former trainers Peter and Dawn Williams, who selected him as a yearling out of Little Avondale Stud’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for Barneswood Farm’s Chris and Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer, and went to $150,000 to secure him.

He showed plenty of promise early on, finishing fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) as a juvenile before returning the following season to win the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and place in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Karaka Million 3YO (1600m) and Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m).

He continued on his upward trajectory as a four-year-old last term, breaking through for his maiden elite-level victory in the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham in December and repeated the same result in the inaugural $1 million Aotearoa Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie a month later, before placing in the Gr.1 Trackside Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m).

He closed out a pleasing season with an unplaced run in the A$3.75 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield, and he is set to make his second appearance in Melbourne this weekend under the care of new handlers to contest the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m).

Desert Lightning entered the care of Pakenham conditioners Moody and Coleman a couple of months ago at the behest of his retiring former trainers, believing he was better placed in Melbourne.

“We were guided by Peter and Dawn Williams,” Chris Green said. “They said that he deserves his chance over there and they think he is good enough, so we should send him over.”

“Peter Moody seems like a nice guy and he communicates well. Everything seems to be going well at this stage.

“We will get a good line on him with it being his first run, so we are expecting him to improve after that.

“We wouldn’t have sent him over there if we didn’t believe he was good enough, but you never know, so we will just have to wait and see.”

While the Greens would love to be trackside at The Valley on Saturday to cheer home their pride and joy, the Ashburton couple have elected to head to Waikato instead to attend the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards, where Desert Lightning is a finalist for Champion Sprinter-Miler.

“We have got the racing awards this weekend, so we are heading up for that. He is nominated, but whether he gets there or not we will just have to wait and see,” Green said.

Desert Lightning was not the only Barneswood Farm horse to head across the Tasman following the Williams’ retirement, with Foreverintime also joining the Moody/Coleman barn.

“Peter Williams recommended that we sent over Foreverintime,” Green said. “He thinks she is good enough to be given a chance in Australia. She was a two-year-old filly last season and won her first start and was fifth in the Sistema (Gr.1, 1200m).

“She has had one start (in Australia) but didn’t handle the Moonee Valley track that well, so we will just have to see how she goes.”

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