Peter Moody found an unusual focus this spring that has him heading to Rosehill for Saturday’s Golden Eagle, instead of Derby Day at Flemington.
Chain Of Lightning and I Wish I Win could offer Moody, famed as the trainer of Black Caviar, his biggest earn from a single race.
Chain Of Lightning booms down the centre of the track to win the Tristarc Stakes at Caulfield earlier in the month.Credit:Racing Photos
“It takes a bit of getting used to, but the two best horses I have in the stable are four-year-olds and are looking for a mile, so the Golden Eagle with $10 million in prizemoney caught our attention,” Moody said.
“I have been going to Derby Day for a long time but things have changed in the last couple of years. I’ll be in Sydney this year.”
Moody laughed when he talked of the planning that had gone into targeting the Golden Eagle with Chain Of Lightning and I Wish I Win and the discussions he’d had with his owners, who are major breeders.
“Stuey Ramsey, who owns Chain Of Lightning, told me to chase the money because it’s only there once, and worry about a group 1 next year,” Moody said.
“She is a very smart mare and probably would win at Flemington, but Stuey said he would be in Sydney and so will his horse.
“When I Wish I Win came out here from New Zealand, [the Golden Eagle] was mentioned and when he won a couple of races, being a gelding it is a great opportunity to get a big payday.
“I own him with [Waikato Stud’s] Mark Chittick now, so we had a chat and thought we would try to do what I’m Thunderstruck did last year – win the Toorak [Handicap] and the Golden Eagle.
“He didn’t quite get there in the Toorak but he is going to be very hard to beat up there. He is just one of those horses that is getting better every time we take him to the track.”
Moody will use Black Caviar’s jockey Luke Nolen on I Wish I Win while Jamie Kah is coming north to ride Chain Of Lightning. Moody could yet have a third Golden Eagle runner with Lightsaber.
“It just shows what this race has done in a couple of years that some of our best Melbourne jockeys are coming to Sydney on Derby day,” Moody said.
“We are coming liking our chances with both of them and to tell you the truth, I don’t think there is much between and I’m a bit surprised at the betting.”
I Wish I Win has been near the top of Golden Eagle betting for the past couple of months and is a $5 second favourite behind English raider Light Infantry, which is the $4.50 top pick for punters.
Chain Of Lightning chalked up her sixth win from seven starts in the Tristarc Stakes a couple of weeks and is an $11 chance for the Golden Eagle. Moody has bit of experience with star mares with Typhoon Tracy and Black Caviar making great starts to their career like Chain Of Lightning.
“When good mares like her come along, they just keep finding a way to win, especially against their own sex,” Moody said. “I was a little disappointed when she was beaten, but she showed she was back the other day and I would be confident wherever she was going.
“The Eagle against the boys is going to be a bit of a challenge for her, but she is one of mares that just has that will to win.”
