Despite her last start win in the Group III Birthday Card Stakes and superior wet track form, the market disregarded the 5-year-old Fighting Sun mare Chain Of Lightning in Saturday's $3.000,000 Group 1 James Squire T J Smith Stakes (1200m) and paid the price.
The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained mare enjoyed a dream run from an inside barrier under Damian Lane to defeat the tragically underrated Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) by a short neck with the winner's better-fancied stablemate I Wish I Win (Savabeel), a short-half-head in third, and Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in fourth.
The Stuart Ramsay homebred advances her record to eight wins and three thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $2,677,355.
"It wasn't quite the one I thought (would win), I was looking at Wish (I Wish I Win) steaming down the outside, Moody said.
"This is a beautiful moment. Stuey and Trish Ramsey, they've been my foundation clients, we go back 30-odd years, so to win that for him that's unbelievably special.
"It’s the fourth time now winning the race named after ‘The Little Master’, my first boss TJ Smith, which makes me very proud.
“Thanks to Kat Coleman, my training partner, her first Group 1. Well done Katherine, well deserved.
“Thanks to my lovely wife Sarah and all the girls. They’re all over the world watching us at the moment.
“We’ve had a big couple of weeks shifting stables and everything. It’s a very proud moment.
“We thought we might have been out of our depth class wise, but I think she shocked us a little bit with her courage and determination, and a beautiful ride by Damian.
“It’s the first preparation in a few where she’s run into a couple of wet tracks and she’s won a Group 2 and a Group 1. She just loves getting that toe into the ground.
“He (I Wish I Win) ran superb. He was there to win and probably just peaked on the run the last little bit.”
The proprietor of Turangga Stud, Stuart Ramsay, bred Chain Of Lightning, her sire Fighting Sun, and dam Magic Art.
Chain Of Lightning is the best of two winners from as many to race for the winning Perugino mare Magic Art.
Like her daughter, Magic Art was trained by Peter Moody and carried the green, white braces, yellow hooped sleeves and cap. Her lone victory in four starts came in a Bairnsdale maiden and placed at Morphettville and Kilmore.
A daughter of the Group III Magic Night Stakes winner Mardi's Magic (Kenny's Best Pal), Magic Art was sold on Inglis Digital for just $3,250 carrying a filly by Better Land.
Magic Art has an unraced 2-year-old Magna Grecia (IRE) gelding named Jaddaf, which was a $375,000 purchase for Freedman Racing / Julian Blaxland Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Davali Thoroughbreds draft at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Magic Art was covered by Jacquinot last spring.
Blue Ruby (Lonhro), a half-sister to Magic Art, is the dam of Glint Of Silver (Rubick), who won the Group II MRC Autumn Stakes at Sandown.
Mardi’s Magic is a sister to Surrealist, the dam of five-time Group 1 winner Racing To Win, Group III winner Purrealist, and Pinocchio, the dam of Classique Legend and Athero.
Chain Of Lightning traces back to arguably the most influential mare in history, La Troienne (FR), through her great-great-granddaughter Hula Bend (Never Bend), dam of Group 1 AJC Doncaster Handicap winner Hula Chief and Group 1 STC George Ryder Stakes winner Hula Drum.
Chain of Lightning is the first Group 1 winner for Fighting Sun (Northern Meteor) who died in 2020 after covering six books.
