There were shades of Black Caviar’s famous victory 14 years earlier when Desert Lightning scored the narrowest of Goodwood wins at Morphettville last Saturday.
Again it was Luke Nolen in the saddle for Peter Moody, now training in partnership with Katherine Coleman.
The win of $18 pop Desert Lightning was far less comfortable than that of odds-on shot Black Caviar, with four horses hitting the line locked together and spread across the track.
Connections of $3.50 favourite Extragalactic were celebrating as they crossed the line, but the photo revealed ex-Kiwi gelding Desert Lightning had got the bob in, with Grand Larceny third and New York Lustre fourth.
“I wasn’t sure on the line, but that drone kept following me around everywhere so I thought, ‘I must be a bloody chance,’” Nolen said.
Comeback comes together
Comeback jockey Lauren Stojakovic was all smiles after her win on Brave Hustler ($4.80) in the Group 3 David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) for two-year-olds. 
Prepared at Strathalbyn by Shane and Cassie Oxlade, Brave Hustler is a gelded son of second-season sire Anders who cost just $5000 at the 2025 Adelaide Magic Millions yearling sale.
The win was Stojakovic’s first in town since making her comeback last October, after eight years and eight months out of the saddle. It was her first at black-type level since her celebrated win on Miracles Of Life in the 2013 Blue Diamond.
Stojakovic said she’d had the same feeling about “Andy” (Brave Hustler) as she’d had on the morning of the Blue Diamond for “Barbie”.
“I couldn’t picture him not winning,” she said.
The win of Brave Hustler compensated the Oxlades for the late scratching of Sghirripa from the Goodwood. The $5000 buy has now earned $110,965 from two starts.
A brace for Ben
Victorian jockey Ben Melham scored the first leg of a double at Morphettville when last-start winner Private Legacy ($14) took the Centaurea Stakes (2033m). 
Prepared at Warwick Farm by Greg Hickman, Private Legacy was caught wide from midway but fought on strongly to win in a three-way go with Mating Call and Brave Miss.
Melham completed his double in the following race when Fringes ($10) won the Group 3 Ken and Helen Smith SA Fillies Classic (2546m) for Wellington-based Michael Hickmott.
Fringes raced on the rails before driving through a late gap to win narrowly from Certainly Quiet.
Bay floods home
The other visiting hoop to notch a double at Morphettville was Sydney’s Zac Lloyd, kicking off with $1.75 favourite Arran Bay in the Group 3 Cummings Stakes (1600m) for dual-state trainer Phillip Stokes. 
After briefly giving his backers heart palpitations when he appeared to have plenty to do with not far to go, Arran Bay produced a withering burst to bring up his 12th win from 45 starts and the third black-type win of his autumn campaign. 
Lloyd brought up a race-to-race double leading all the way on Naifah ($4.20) in the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) for the Cranbourne stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent junior.
Stokes completed a double of his own when I Am Velvet ($5.50) came from worse than midfield to take the last, a 1200-metre benchmark 68, under Chad Schofield.
That capped a big day for Stokes, who’d earlier taken the $500,000 Coast at Gosford with Athanatos.
Harry’s running hot
The recently relocated Harry Grace was the other jockey to ride a double at the Goodwood meeting, starting with Peta’s Heart ($8.50) in 0-68 company over 1800 metres for Sellicks Hill trainer Will Clarken.
Grace then won the Carbine Club of South Australia Benchmark 64 Handicap (1050m) on the promising Bred ’Em All ($2.20 favourite) for the local stable of Richard and Chantelle Jolly.
Grace was coming off doubles at Morphettville the previous Saturday and at Murray Bridge on the Wednesday in between.
Potter’s Port pair
Murray Bridge trainer Garret Lynch bagged a double at Port Augusta last Friday with Otto’s Dream ($3.10 favourite)  and Ti Tree Royal ($2.20 favourite). Apprentices Tala Hutchinson and Alyssa Webb did the steering.
Another apprentice, Sophie Potter, took the riding honours at Port with a double of her own on Gusmao ($7) for Kylie McKerlie and Lakehurst ($3.60 favourite) for Kate Halliday.