Published by Breednet
Mark Smith – Wednesday February 3
The Group II VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes is on the radar for the Peter Moody-trained Lightsaber after the son of Zoustar overcame a three-wide-trip to open his winning account over 1300m at Sandown-Hillside on Wednesday.
Lightsaber opens his winning account at Sandown (Pat Scala/Racing Photos)
Ridden by Like Nolan, the Blueblood Thoroughbreds colour bearer was hung out on a limb from his outside barrier. Allowed to slide up to a challenging position on the turn, Lightsaber did not shirk his task in the closing stages. He held the challenge of Secret Agenda’s three-quarter brother Frontman (Redoute’s Choice) by three-quarters of a length with a length back to Seacole (Not A Single Doubt) in third.
Lightsaber was making his second trip to the races after finishing second at his debut at Geelong and Moody said he should be unbeaten.
“Only greenness cost him that day. He has shown nice improvement at home and brought that to the races,” Moody said.
“It looked like they would gas him if he pressed on so I think he pulled the right rein. You never like to see them facing the breeze, but with the even tempo, he got into a nice rhythm. He quickened through the dip, and Luke had to edge him around the turn and keep him going. When the penny drops, he is a nice horse with a nice race in him.
Lightsaber – Luke Nolan (Pat Scala/Racing Photos)
“We will take him home and see how he pulls up.
“Thanks to Blueblood Thoroughbreds and their team of owners. This is the first horse we have had at the races for them.
“The Sires’ Produce is a month away. If he does well, he probably won’t need another run before a race like that.”
Lightsaber has already returned over half the $100,000 shelled out by Blueblood Thoroughbreds at the 2020 Ready 2 Race Sale in October.
The son of Zoustar had been pinhooked by JCS Racing for $80,000 out of the Aquis Farm draft at the 2020 Classic Yearling Sale.
Lightsaber pinhooked for $80,000 at the Inglis Classic
Bred by Emirates Park, Lightsaber is the second foal and first to race out of the unraced Dream Ahead (USA) mare Dream Cirque.
A half-sister to stakes-placed winner Distant Rock, Dream Cirque is a granddaughter of Fastnet Rock’s sister Cirque du Soleil.
Dream Cirque has a yearling colt by Pariah, a colt foal by Capitalist and was covered by Tassort last spring.
It has been an excellent start to the day for Emirates Park whose homebred Fastnet Rock colt Hilal made a winning debut at Randwick.
It is also a timely result for the vendors of the 15 yearlings by Zoustar catalogued for the Inglis Classic and the 22 headed to the Inglis Premier.