Black-Type Reward for Lightning Jack (NZ)

Formerly a dual stakes winner as a three-year-old, quality Karaka graduate Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto) has capped an admirably consistent formline with another black-type success at the age of six.

Lightning Jack was a dominant winner of Saturday’s $65,000 Listed Daphne Bannan Memorial Great Easter Stakes (1400m) at Riccarton. It was the eighth win of a 40-start career for the gelding, who was bought for only $8,000 from the 2018 Karaka May Sale. He has now earned $387,713 in prize-money.

Lightning Jack first emerged during the 2019-20 season, when he had eight starts as a three-year-old for three wins and three placings. He scored back-to-back victories in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and Southland Guineas (1600m).

Although he then went four years without another win at stakes level, he still earned more than $250,000 for his connections in between times. He won another four races during that period, including one at Randwick in Sydney, and he placed in the Group One Thorndon Mile (1600m), Group Two Wellington Guineas (1400m) and Group Three Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) along with three other Listed races.

Saturday was a richly deserved black-type breakthrough. Carrying a 60-kilogram topweight, the six-year-old outclassed his opposition in the hands of jockey Krishna Mudhoo. He bounded down the outside of the Riccarton home straight and roared clear, scoring by two lengths.

“He is a real trier with the greatest nature, so to see him win today is very special,” said trainer Kelvin Tyler, whose brother Allan and sister Marie own Lightning Jack.

“He’s one of those horses who goes out and gives his all every time, so you can’t ask any more than that. He has been quite unlucky a few times, especially in the Thorndon Mile. He got one today, which was what he deserved.

“We may have made the mistake of riding him a little too handy in the past, and today we let him find his feet early on. He savaged the line under a very big weight, and that last 100 metres was pretty good to watch.

“We said this was going to be his last start before heading to the spelling paddock, so he can go out now, eat some good grass and have a decent break.

“We’re not afraid to take on the bigger races, and with some more natural maturity, we think he has one of those good North Island races in him during his next prep.”

The runner-up was the defending Great Easter Stakes winner, Live Drama (NZ) (Ghibellines), who was bought for $8,500 from the 2018 South Island Sale. She has had 31 starts for nine wins, nine placings and $292,890 in stakes.

Vendor	G. Kenny
Purchaser	Relyt Farm (Southland)
Breeding	Per Incanto – La Petite
Sale	Lot 44, 2018 Karaka May Sale, $8,000
Bred by	Ms G E Kenny & Est late J D Georgetti

Race Day Photo: Race Images South