Family pedigree boosts Oak Lightning's Caulfield debut prospects

As leading syndicator Wylie Dalziel and legendary trainer Peter Moody inspected the New Zealand yearling Oak Lightning, a prominent relative immediately drew notice.

This Per Incanto offspring from Little Avondale Stud shares a dam with Desert Lightning, the Pride Of Dubai runner who secured a New Zealand Group 1 prior to transferring to Moody and Katherine Coleman at Pakenham.

Consequently, he ranks as a full brother to Oak Hill, the Group 2 scorer owned by Lindsay Park, yet the pedigree boasts a standout name with particular relevance to Moody's decision for Saturday's Redoute's Choice Stakes at Caulfield.

Isstoora, mother to Oak Lightning, Desert Lightning, and Oak Hill, descends from Twyla, herself by Danehill out of Shantha's Choice, thus a sibling to Redoute's Choice.

Oak Lightning's backers formed part of the appeal that secured him for NZ$200,000 at Karaka Yearling Sale, noted Dalziel.

"Moods obviously had Desert Lightning, so he took a line through him, and Oak Hill had only had a few starts (at the time) but looked alright and then when we came across him we thought, 'what a nice colt this is,'" Dalziel recalled.

"There was enough in the pedigree, so we were happy we got him $200,000, fall of hammer,"

Among the Group 1 achievers on Oak Lightning's page sit Redoute's Choice, Desert Lightning, Al Maher, Platinum Scissors, Hurricane Sky, Gathering, Tom Kitten, and American Grade 1 victor In Italian.

Dalziel takes heart from Moody targeting the $175,000 Listed race for this high-class family's debutant.

Last year brought two Pakenham jumpouts for the gelding, followed by two this preparation, highlighted by an 800m victory on March 24 where he covered extra ground wide but surged late under gentle handling.

The initial barrier 10 in an 11-horse lineup for the Redoute's Choice Stakes worried Dalziel and Moody, but early withdrawals trimmed the 1200m race to six by Friday 1pm.

"Moods doesn't often throw his two-year-olds in the deep end like this, so he's got a very good opinion of him, he just would have rather draw a good barrier to be a little bit more confident," Dalziel said.

"It's a two-year-old race, anything can happen. He might be back a bit, but he'll hit the line hard."

Oak Lightning gets Linda Meech in the saddle, sitting second from the outside in betting dominated by Drumfire, a Farnan colt, and Gin Twist, Listed winner by Home Affairs.

Discover the latest racing betting markets ahead of the Redoute's Choice Stakes.