With Katherine Coleman as his training partner, Peter Moody notched a repeat victory in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m), 14 years on from Black Caviar’s commanding performance in 2012.

Luke Nolen rode both winners; the 1.3 length success for Black Caviar was relatively tight by her elite benchmarks, whereas Desert Lightning’s narrow result had the Morphettville audience on edge until confirmed.

The six-year-old gelding, a $18 shot, withstood the surge from $3.50 market leader Extragalactic to win by half a head, followed half a length later by Grand Larceny ($17) in third.

After trying the 2400m New Zealand Derby, Desert Lightning has stuck to 1400-1600m in Australian assignments, with Coleman praising his preparation through careful race spacing and retained vigour.

“He’s so quirky, he’s got so much character,” Coleman 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 tracked in the rear group before taking the quicker strip wide late, surviving by the slimmest of margins as Extragalactic rallied furiously, costing Trent Edmonds and Luke Cartwright a breakthrough Group One.

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

“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.

“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.”

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