Desert Lightning could be surprise New Zealand representative for All-Star-Mile

The connections of Desert Lightning holding their win and ticket to the All-Star Mile after the race at Karaka Millions.

The horse that cost punters millions on Karaka Millions night could be the surprise New Zealand rep for the All-Star Mile and one of our few big names in Victoria this autumn.

While Desert Lightning was hardly friendless in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic at Ellerslie last Saturday by beating Legarto fair and square, he ruined many multi-bets including one that would have returned the Boys Get Paid syndicate $ 2.5 million alone.

The victory was a masterful training feat from Peter and Dawn Williams as Desert Lightning hadn’t raced since winning the controversial false-start TAB Classic at Trentham in December and the four-year-old seems to have found his sweet spot as a high-class, on-the-speed miler.

This is why the Williamses were so happy to hear the A$4 million All-Star Mile which rotates around Melbourne’s three metropolitan tracks will be back at Caulfield on March 16.

The Aotearoa Classic was a win-and-you-are-in qualifier for the All-Star Mile and Williams says at this stage his connections are keen.

“We haven’t confirmed anything and we won’t until next week,” he told the Herald.

“But we like the fact the race is at Caulfield, which can suit horses like him who can run on the speed.

“So at this stage, we are intending going with more details to be confirmed.”

Desert Lightning is likely to head to the next 1600m group one on the NZ calendar, the $400,000 Trackside Otaki-Māori Classic at Otaki on February 24.

Before then the Williamses send two top chances to New Plymouth tomorrow on a rare Saturday without a thoroughbred meeting north of Taupo, with black type racing also on at Wingatui.

The stable has Saint Alice in the $120,000 Taranaki Cup and the race looks ideal on many levels.

It brings together some out-of-form horses, stayers dropping back from 2400m or even 3200m, and leaves Saint Alice as one of the horses to beat coming in as a last-start winner and carrying just 53kg.

“This looks ideal as does the step up to 1800m suits,” said Williams

“She is really well and if they get some rain the wide draw could be okay.

“She has always been a nice horse but she has taken time to mature and she seems to be really coming to it now.

“And, because she can get back, I think Warren (Kennedy, jockey) will really suit her.”

While Saint Alice is no good thing tomorrow it is almost a case of “if not her, who would you back?”.

Prise De Fer won this race four years ago but his wins have been well-spaced since, albeit with most of his racing being at a very high level.

It would shock to see one of the stayers winning at 1800m while Dark Destroyer is the best horse in the race but it is hard to line up the form of the former group one winner after a muddling Sydney campaign.

The Cup isn’t the only major race on New Plymouth’s big day of the season, with the Two-Year-Old Classic dominated by Te Akau hotshot Captured By Love (R5, No.3).

But the other black type race the $80,000 Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude looks far more even and Peter Williams thinks he could have a value option for punters in Arabian Songbird, owned by the same connections as Desert Lightning and Saint Alice.

“We really like her and she won well last start so she can go well this week.”