Lightning strikes twice for Moody in Adelaide G1

ADELAIDE – Now training alongside Katherine Coleman, Peter Moody has won the Group 1 The Goodwood (1,200m) for a second time – 14 years after the great Black Caviar won the feature race back in 2012.

Jockey Luke Nolen was on board the winners both times. While Black Caviar’s 1¼-length victory was close by her lofty standards, Desert Lightning’s win took a while to be confirmed as the crowd held its breath at Morphettville on May 9.

In the end, it was the Pride Of Dubai six-year-old gelding who surprised at big odds of $107 to hold off the fast-finishing favourite Extragalactic (Luke Cartwright) to score by half a head in Adelaide’s feature race worth A$1 million (S$917,000).

Grand Larceny (Ben Melham) finished another half a length behind in third.

Other than one run in the 2023 Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2,400m) at Te Rapa, Desert Lightning has mainly plied his Australian trade over 1,400 to 1,600m.

Coleman said the horse has done very well with his races spaced apart and the freshness in his legs.

“He’s so quirky. He’s got so much character,” she said.

“He’s an older gelding, normally, they’re the quiet ones that know their job and they don’t cause too much fuss.

“Well, he carries on out there like a two-year-old, a cult most mornings and upsets other horses on the track and bounces around the stable.

“We thought he was going to be a horse that would stretch out over ground as well, but he just seems he’s best when he’s fresh and happy and bouncing, and that’s how he is today, so it’s great and a fantastic ride from Luke Nolen as well.”

Nolen settled in the second half of the field and came to the better ground wide in the straight, barely holding the lead for more than a stride on the line as Extragalactic flew home to just miss what would have been a maiden Group 1 for trainer Trent Edmonds and Cartwright.

“That drone kept following me around everywhere,” said Nolen.

“I thought, oh, it must be a bloody chance.

“Lukey Cartwright, he does a bit of work for Moody. He’s a great little kid, his time is going to come, he’s at the start of his career, I’m a long way towards the end of mine.

“So I’m getting every one of these good races I can before we knock up time.

“The horse has been going really well, so I think the next port of call is Queensland for another go at the Stradbroke (Handicap).

“He sprinted well then on soft ground, there’s a lot of options for him, so I’ll leave it in the camp’s capable hands the way he goes off the back of it, but I’ll be joining him wherever he goes.”

An eight-time winner, including the 2023 Group 1 Tab Classic (1,600m), Desert Lightning finished fourth to War Machine in the 2025 Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1,400m).

A more well-known daughter of Pride Of Dubai, Pride Of Jenni was back to her best on the Gold Coast on the same day.

In a front-running display that revived memories of her breathtaking 2024 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2,000m) performance, Pride Of Jenni has run her Hollindale Stakes rivals off their legs to land another phenomenal win in the A$500,000 Group 2 event over 1,800m.

Sent out at $17, the eight-year-old mare was at her free-bowling best, spearing to an estimated 16-length lead approaching the 800m and defying the backmarkers to chase her down.

Birdman (James McDonald) emerged from the pack late to get within ¾ length of Pride Of Jenni (Declan Bates) on the post, with She’s A Hustler (Jordan Childs) another 2¼ lengths away in third.

Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours (Jamie Melham) was doing his best work late for fourth and lost nothing in defeat.

Winning trainer Ciaron Maher was in awe of Pride Of Jenni and said he had decided to freshen her up after she finished fifth in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1,600m) at Randwick on April 11.

Before that, she pulled off a brace of Melbourne placings in the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1,600m) on March 7 and the Group 1 Australian Cup (2,000m) on March 28.

“I was mindful she had three very tough runs and given how well she went first-up, the only thing you can do is over-train her,” he said.

“We’ve just kept her fresh and when she stepped well, you know pretty quick whether you’re on. I thought, oh, that was nice, we might be on today.

“The track – you’d think the Gold Coast would suit her style – and it certainly did.”

Maher also praised the judgment of her regular jockey Bates, who got the Pride Of Jenni in a good front-running rhythm and calculated her energy reserves to perfection.

“She is sprinting flat out from the 1000. She is used to doing that, being off the bridle a long way out, but super from ‘Dec’ (Bates),” he said.

“She is just a marvel. Have a look at her, she is just a beautiful mare, and she’s got a great constitution.”

The 13-time winner raced once in Queensland and finished down the track in the Doomben Cup (2,000m) on May 24, 2025.

Maher confirmed the Group 1 feature was again on their radar, and he expected it to be a different kettle of fish this time.

“She looks in better form this year,” he said.

The Hollindale Stakes has been a strong pointer to the Doomben Cup in recent years. Trained by Tony Gollan, Antino claimed the double in 2025 while the Annabel Neasham-trained Zaaki captured both races in 2021. RACING AND SPORTS