Elite New Zealand racehorse Desert Lightning has made a perfect start to the next chapter of his career, capturing Saturday’s Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) in his second start for new trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.

Desert Lightning was a five-race winner and million-dollar earner in New Zealand for the now-retired training team of Peter and Dawn Williams. He finished fourth in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old and second in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at three, then went to a new level last season with scintillating wins in the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) and the inaugural $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m).

The Pride of Dubai gelding made his debut for Moody and Coleman with an eye-catching third in the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 7, and he was right at the peak of his powers second-up on Saturday.

Jockey Luke Nolen had Desert Lightning handily placed in third, then pounced at the top of the straight. The five-year-old sprinted to the lead before the 200m mark and dashed clear. Craig and Magnaspin launched strong late bids, but Desert Lightning kept kicking and held them at bay by a length.

“I was very pleased with what he did first-up in a sprint race at Moonee Valley under a big weight,” Nolen said. “His work through the week suggested he’d bounced through that run well and would be a big chance in this race. He still has a bit of improvement left in him too, so I don’t think this is his ceiling.”

Desert Lightning has now had 20 starts for six wins and seven placings, earning A$1.23 million for Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer’s Barneswood Farm.

“We’ve been really pleased with how he’s progressed since his first-up run, and we still think he’s got a bit more to come, which is exciting,” Coleman said. “He’s a really, really nice horse. We’re incredibly thankful to the connections for putting him in our stable.

“He’ll head towards the Toorak (Gr.1, 1600m) now. Provided he takes the improvement that we still think he’s got to come, he’s an exciting prospect for a race like that. The mile looks like it’s really his sweet spot as far as distances are concerned, so that race stands out as the obvious target.

“He’s a bit of a quirky boy. He took a little while to settle in at our stable, but he’s been doing everything right lately and we’ve been very pleased with him.”

Desert Lightning was bred by the Mahoenui Partnership and was offered at Karaka as a yearling by Little Avondale Stud. Peter and Dawn Williams bought him for $150,000.

The dam of Desert Lightning is the unraced High Chaparral mare Isstoora, who has been represented by three winners from four foals to race.