2024 TJ Smith Stakes Results: Chain Of Lightning Strikes An Upset

Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman celebrated their first Group 1 victory as a partnership with their striking grey mare, Chain Of Lightning, so good up in grade at weight-for-age to take out the time-honoured 2024 TJ Smith Stakes in an upset.

2024 TJ Smith Stakes winner Chain Of Lightning was brave taking out the Group 1 in an upset at 20/1. Photo: Steve Hart.

The bonny daughter of Fighting Sun was a forgotten runner in a terrific Group 1 $3 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) field at Randwick despite her lead-up Rosehill win a fortnight back in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m).

She brought the confidence of that victory to Randwick and was given a peach of a ride in the Group 1 by Damian Lane who got the mare settled in a lovely position fourth early on.

From there she was able to capitalise on her good run and fight off the challengers in a blanket finish to become an elite level winner on Day 1 of The Championships.

On the line Chain Of Lightning at $21 held a narrow margin over the brave and always-honest Ciaron Maher-trained Group 1 winning mare Bella Nipotina who ran out of her skin for second after a pre-race delay having to be reshod after losing a shoe just before they loaded in.

“She’s rock-hard and fit and we wanted to take advantage of that and Damian Lane, what a gun ride. Beautiful,” winning trainer Moody said of Chain Of Lightning.

Moody & Coleman’s better fancied runner, last year’s winner I Wish I Win, ran a solid first-up third to complete the TJ Smith Stakes trifecta after being ridden wide out of his comfort zone throughout.

“He ran superb. He was there to win and probably just peaked on the run the last little bit,” Moody added of I Wish I Win.

Mark Walker’s 10-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz meanwhile ran fourth as the beaten favourite in a bunched finish after sweating up notably pre-race.

The TJ Smith Stakes 2024 result saw Moody celebrate his 58^th Group 1 victory, while for Coleman it was her first time in the winners’ stall at the top level as a trainer.

“Thanks to Kat Coleman, my training partner, her first Group 1. Well done Katherine, well deserved,” Moody said giving credit to his co-trainer.

It was also his fourth win overall in the event named in honour of his former boss, the late, great Tommy Smith.

“Fourth time now winning the race named after ‘The Little Master’, my first boss TJ Smith, which makes me very proud,” Moody said.

2024 TJ Smith Stakes Results & Finishing Order

Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Starting Price
1	14	CHAIN OF LIGHTNING	Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman	Damian Lane		2	56.5kg	$21
2	9	BELLA NIPOTINA	Ciaron Maher	Craig Williams	0.31L	10	56.5kg	$11
3	1	I WISH I WIN (NZ)	Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman	James McDonald	0.34L	4	58.5kg	$4.20
4	8	IMPERATRIZ	Mark Walker	Opie Bosson	0.56L	6	56.5kg	$3.50F
5	11	SUNSHINE IN PARIS	Annabel Neasham	Jason Collett	0.7L	8	56.5kg	$6.50
6	10	ESPIONA	Chris Waller	Nash Rawiller	0.8L	12	56.5kg	$17
7	13	MAGIC TIME	Grahame Begg	Michael Dee	1.11L	1	56.5kg	$10
8	7	JOHNNY ROCKER	Nick Ryan	Mark Zahra	2.01L	3	58.5kg	$31
9	6	BUENOS NOCHES	Matthew Smith	Ben Melham	2.23L	13	58.5kg	$31
10	15	WILLINGA BEAST	Kris Lees	Dylan Gibbons (a)	2.55L	5	56.5kg	$201
11	3	MAZU	Joseph Pride	Tim Clark	6.96L	11	58.5kg	$21
12	5	AFT CABIN	James Cummings	Zac Purton	8.05L	7	58.5kg	$16
13	4	COAL CRUSHER	Joseph Pride	Tyler Schiller	9.29L	9	58.5kg	$31
	12	CYLINDER	James Cummings	Ms Jamie Kah		0
	2	PRIVATE EYE	Joseph Pride	Blake Shinn		0