He came, he saw and he conquered – former Brisbane boy Peter Moody returned to where his amazing career started and capped an outstanding day at the office when Lights Of Heaven won Saturday’s Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm.
Lights Of Heaven’s win was the final leg of a feature treble for Moody after he won a Group One double earlier with Mid Summer Music in the Stradbroke and the Queensland Derby with Brambles.
Ever a proud Queenslander, Moody rated the day as a career highlight and the equal of any achievement he has savoured with his super mare Black Caviar.
“I’ve won some amazing races and have had all that success with Black Caviar but this is as good as it gets,” Moody said.
“To come home here to Eagle Farm where it all started and win three big races on the biggest day of the year is very special to me.
“We win 200 races a year and Black Caviar probably wins about four or five of those.
“You get pigeon-holed as the trainer of Black Caviar but I have some wonderful horses and wonderful staff that make all this possible.”
Moody’s stable jockey Luke Nolen, buoyed with extreme confidence after his Stradbroke win, rode with commitment on Lights Of Heaven ($3.40).
He fired the mare out of her wide barrier to be fourth, one off the fence, after 600m and had no hesitation in guiding her to the centre of the track where he made his move at the top of the straight.
Mawingo ($2.90 fav) made his run at the same time but couldn’t match the winner’s sprint in the run to the line and battled away gamely to finish a well-beaten third.
Dance With Her ($13) ran on well to split the pair and finished three lengths from the winner, a long head in front of Mawingo.
