Lightning strikes on both sides of Tasman
A trans-Tasman ownership double prompted long and enthusiastic celebrations for Ashburton’s Barneswood Farm.
Husband-and-wife Chris and Sarah Green and business partner Ger Beemsterboer’s colours were carried to victory at The Valley by Desert Lightning and at Ellerslie by progressive mare Arabian Songbird.
“It was brilliant and we were so excited, I was at Moonee Valley and cheering him on,” Sarah Green said.
Trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, Desert Lightning capped off a grand run of form when he won the So You Think Stakes (1500m) after finishing fourth in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) and second in the Gr.2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m).
“He was great at Caulfield to fight like he did and was unlucky in the Stradbroke,” Green said.
“Our trainers had confidence, but you never know, and he had a wide barrier to overcome so we were really proud of him.
“It was a long weekend, we came home on Sunday morning and had to get up at 3.30am to be at the airport so I was still celebrating with a glass of champagne and a sausage for breakfast.”
Out of the High Chaparral mare Isstoora, Desert Lightning was purchased out of Little Avondale Stud’s draft at Karaka for $150,000 on behalf of Barneswood by now retired trainers Peter and Dawn Williams.
He won five races for them, including the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) and placed in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) before relocating to his Pakenham base.
“We just love him to pieces, Peter and Dawn trained him so well and Peter and Katherine have kept him in top form as a six-year-old and they have all done excellent jobs,” Green said.
“They’re talking maybe the Underwood Stakes (Gr.1, 1800m), but it’s not confirmed, and they’ll see how he does at the beach during the week first.”
Arabian Songbird is trained for the partnership by Roger James and Robert Wellwood and powered to victory over 1300m at Ellerslie for the fourth win of her nine-start career.
“We watched that with Robert in the bar at Moonee Valley and silenced them with our screaming, she was so far back and the Masa (Hashizume) gave her a great ride,” Green said.
“She may come down to Cup Week for what was the Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (now Gr.3 Join TAB Racing Club Mile, 1600m), that’s maybe the path she’ll take.”
Pierro mare Arabian Songbird was bred by Jamieson Park and was a $260,000 Karaka buy for Barneswood who also have her half-sister Saint Alice, an earlier $220,000 purchase.
The daughter of So You Think and the Redoute’s Choice mare Rare Delight won seven races, including the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) and was a multiple Group placegetter from Williams’ stable.
She is at Sledmere Stud in the Hunter Valley after recently produced her first foal, a colt by Wootton Bassett.
