April 23, 2012Lightinthenite – “A Horse of the Future”
At Randwick on Saturday, the exciting Newhaven Park bred Lightinthenite won the The Keystone Group Handicap over 1400m.
Punters sent out Lightinthenite as a $4.20 second favourite behind Riva De Lago but McDonald steered the John O’Shea-trained galloper to victory down the centre of the track to complete a hat trick of wins in the first three races.
“He only needed a bit of clear air but once he got through the gap, he really extended and that was the big thing,” McDonald said. “I think he is a horse to watch for the future.”
”Ideally I would have liked to run in the Doomben Cup but it might come a bit quick,” O’Shea said. ”He’ll go to the Scone Cup.”
Lightinthenite recorded his fifth win from nine starts when the son of Galileo defeated Skyerush and Altered Boy.
Lightinthenite was sold by Newhaven Park as a weanling at the Magic Millions June sale. He is by Galileo and out of Newhaven Park mareTiffin.
About Lightinthenite – Story below taken from Champion Thoroughbreds (John O’Shea)
http://www.championthoroughbreds.com.au/horse04.aspx
This Magic Millions gelding came to us from the weanling sale and has developed as well as you could possibly hope! The Galileo’s averaged $281,471 at the Easter Sale 2009 for the seventeen that sold, so securing this gelding early has locked in a bargain for our stable clients.
By the leading European stallion Galileo, who has given us Gallant Tess, Sousa, and Lycean Academy this gelding has great muscle and attitude, which you want in a gelding of this pedigree, but rarely see. His well performed dam is from the family of Major, Happen and a horse John O’Shea had a very high opinion of, One in a Million. His two dam-sires are the highly successful sires Grand Lodge and Marauding. He hails from the famed Newhaven Park Stud, who recently bought back the mare from auction, such was their excitement with her efforts in producing her first foal, this handsome chestnut gelding.
Lightinthenite kicked off his career in fine fashion, in fact you couldn’t ask for better! He won his first three starts by a combined margin of 5.3 lengths, twice in metropolitan company. We then made the move to Saturday metropolitan company at Rosehill with success. Unfortunately a very unlucky run had him in sixth position in his first Saturday start, but in the scheme of things it was a great run! He chased the leader on a Heavy 9, a big ask! The leader ended up 15 lengths last while we managed to finish a mere 4 lengths off of the winner!