Moody confident Desert Lightning can strike in Stradbroke

By Jordan Gerrans

Queenslander Peter Moody believes Desert Lightning’s run in the Kingsford Smith Cup will have the Group 1-winner in top order for Saturday’s Stradbroke Handicap. 

Moody, who trains in partnership with Katherine Coleman in Melbourne, was on hand at Eagle Farm on Tuesday morning to oversee his big team of gallopers set for Saturday’s program.

Desert Lightning headlines their attack, while the stable will also have key runners in the Q22 and the Dane Ripper Stakes.

Moody, who hails from Wyandra in regional Queensland, knows what it takes to win the state's greatest horse race, having done so with Mid Summer Music in 2012.

That was when he was training solo and he thinks Desert Lightning gives his relatively new training partner Coleman a fair chance of claiming her maiden Stradbroke on Saturday.

The son of Pride Of Dubai was beaten by less than two lengths in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup last month.

Before landing in Queensland, Desert Lightning claimed South Australia’s prized Group 1 event, The Goodwood over 1200 metres. 

“He did a bit of work in the run in the Kingsford Smith, but I think it's brought him on nicely for the Stradbroke,” Moody said on Tuesday.

“He goes there in terrific order. More importantly, we've just got to be good enough and that's quite often the problem.

“It's always a tremendous time of year in Queensland and made even better if you can win a race or two. 

"So, we are looking forward to that and really looking forward to being here on Saturday on track.

“Let's hope we get a great crowd out here for Queensland's signature race day.”

As of Friday morning, Desert Lightning is a $26 chance in Stradbroke betting, with Luke Nolen set to take the ride.

It will be Desert Lightning’s second tilt at the famous Stradbroke Handicap after the six-year-old ran into fourth last year behind War Machine.

Desert Lightning's performance in the 2025 Stradbroke was a strong one from the Moody and Coleman-prepared galloper as he came from back in the field to hit the line nicely.

Co-trainer Moody is also bullish about the stable’s chances in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes over 1300 metres on Saturday.

She's Got Pizzazz (set to be ridden by Mark Zahra) and Paradise City (with Nolen also booked) both come through the Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes.

She's Got Pizzazz ran into second on that occasion while Paradise City finished a touch over three lengths behind the winner.

“She's going super,” Moody said of She's Got Pizzazz.

“I thought she was really good here the other day. She runs in the Dane Ripper, which is out to 1300 metres, which will suit her.

“We had to come back to 1200 metres in the Helen Coughlan after she won the race at the Gold Coast. She probably just found them a little sharp last start. 

“But, She's Got Pizzazz is getting closer to her mark.

“Paradise City, I thought she was good first-up, blew the cobwebs off. So, I think both mares go into the Dane Ripper in very good order.”

Regular stable hoop Nolen will also ride Pounding in the Q22. They have drawn low in one for the 2200 metre event.

The Hall of Famer believes the seven-year-old stayer is set for better things later in the carnival as he faces a tough ask against stars Pride Of Jenni and Half Yours on Saturday.

“He's an old warrior. He'll run around. He'll run first to sixth or seventh,” Moody said.

“He'll do Pounding things. He'll earn a cheque. But, I think the race that will suit him is the Tatt’s Cup in a couple of weeks.

“We'd love to be competitive on Saturday, but we're realists. He's been very good his last couple of runs in Melbourne.

“He is back to 2200 metres, they'll probably find him a bit sharp, but he'll earn a cheque and then he'll go to the Tatt’s Cup, where he'll be very well placed.”

Meanwhile, Moody and Coleman opted to not bring their biggest stable star, Sheza Alibi, to Brisbane for the winter of 2026.

The Queensland-owned filly is in the paddock after winning the Group 1 Doncaster Mile in devastating fashion in early April.

Central Queensland owner Fred Noffke has struck gold with Sheza Alibi and Moody says his dual Group 1 champion is on the way back into work.

“She's in good order. I think this is week four of pre-training,” Moody said.

“She'll do a bit of pace work up here in Queensland over the next couple of weeks.

“And, then we look to have her back in Melbourne towards the back end of the month.”

Moody has declared "all roads lead back from the Golden Eagle" for freakish Sheza Alibi's spring campaign.