When top syndicator Wylie Dalziel and Hall of Fame trainer Peter Moody were looking at Oak Lightning as a yearling in New Zealand, one member of the family stood out.
The Little Avondale Stud-raised son of Per Incanto is a half-brother to Desert Lightning, the son of Pride Of Dubai who was a Group 1 winner in New Zealand before joining Moody and his co-trainer Katherine Coleman at Pakenham.
That means he is also a brother to Lindsay Park’s Group 2 winner Oak Hill, but there is an even more famous name on the page that holds even more significance given Moody has elected to kick him off in Saturday’s Redoute’s Choice Stakes at Caulfield.
Oak Lightning, Desert Lightning and Oak Hill’s dam Isstoora is a granddaughter of Twyla, a daughter of Danehill and Shantha’s Choice, which makes her a sister to Redoute’s Choice.
Oak Lightning’s connections are all part of what made him an attractive buy for NZ$200,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sale according to Dalziel.
“Moods obviously had Desert Lightning, so he took a line through him, and Oak Hill had only had a few starts (at the time) but looked alright and then when we came across him we thought, ‘what a nice colt this is’,” Dalziel recalled.
“There was enough in the pedigree, so we were happy we got him $200,000, fall of hammer,”
Redoute’s Choice and Desert Lightning are just two of the Group 1 winners on Oak Lightning’s pedigree page, with Al Maher, Platinum Scissors, Hurricane Sky, Gathering, Tom Kitten and American Grade 1 winner In Italian others to have won at the highest level.
It is a high-achieving family and Dalziel is encouraged that Moody has chosen a $175,000 Listed race for as his debut option.
The gelding had two Pakenham jumpouts towards the end of last year and another two this time in, including a win over 800m on March 24 when he travelled wide throughout but still finished off strongly under light urging.
Dalziel and Moody were initially dismayed at drawing barrier 10 in the field of 11 in the Redoute’s Choice Stakes, but the 1200-metre event was down to a field of six at 1pm Friday after early scratchings.
“Moods doesn’t often throw his two-year-olds in the deep end like this, so he’s got a very good opinion of him, he just would have rather draw a good barrier to be a little bit more confident,” Dalziel said.
“It’s a two-year-old race, anything can happen. He might be back a bit, but he’ll hit the line hard.”
Linda Meech will take the ride aboard Oak Lightning, who is second outsider in a market headed by Farnan colt Drumfire and Listed winner Gin Twist, a son of Home Affairs.
