Trainer and jockey quotes following the Ranvet So You Think Stakes won by Desert Lightning at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Desert Lightning (P Moody, K Coleman/L Nolen) - $2.25 fav
2nd: Moira (C Waller, D Lane) - $3.80
3rd: Attrition (M Freedman/B Mertens) - $11
Winning Time: 1:30.61 Last 600m: NA
Margins: Short Neck x 2-¾ lengths
So You Think Stakes | Desert Lightning
— Racing.com (@Racing) September 6, 2025
Desert Lightning & Moira settle down to fight it out, but it's the former Kiwi that prevails It's great to see Luke Nolen back riding winners
Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/Zq4eC0Xn3e
Winning Trainer: Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman (Coleman interviewed)
On how special it was combining for a city win with comeback rider Luke Nolen: "Yeah, it is indeed, and we've got Chris and Sarah Green here, owners of Desert Lightning, and it's just really rewarding to get the win on the board.
"He's a very, very special horse to their family and we've got a jockey that's pretty special to our family on board as well.
"It's fantastic to see both of them back in the winner's stall."
On the performance: "It was a tough performance from him. He's a really genuine horse, this bloke, and, you know, when the Yulong horse (Moira) that probably had the softer run than he did was cruising up on his outside our old boy had to really fight hard, so it was great to see."
Future plans: "We're thinking that we might look to stretch him out a little bit more this time round and maybe we look to go to an Underwwood perhaps, or go down that road.
"But we'll see how he comes through today and go from there"
Winning Jockey: Luke Nolen
On rehab from a knee injury and what the win means: "We probably toiled pretty hard the last eight-and-a-half months. I rehabbed really well to get back on a horse an weren't sure we were going to be able to go back to the races.
"I've probably been a horrible patient for my wife at home and the kids, but these sorts of days make it all worthwhile."
Hardest part of the comeback: "Just finding a bit of form, actually. It's all gone pretty stock-standard and the knee, just with a few really confidence-boosting trial sessions at home, I was confident to go to the races that it wouldn't fail me.
"Just to get all that work behind me and for it to culminate in this, it feels very rewarding."
On the horse and he's performance: "He showed good grit and determination and the horse of Waller's (Moira), she looked pretty good the other day I felt and I thought he's going to be near me in the run – because Damian Lane rode her with urgency from the gate – and I didn't think it was going to be that far away from me, so we had to make every post a winner and he good enough to do so."
