Australia: Lighthouse steps up to Group 1 company in Orr Stakes

It took a little more than eight weeks for the Kentucky stakes winner Lighthouse to prove she belonged in Australian sprints.

Lighthouse won her first four starts in Australia beginning in early November, a span that included a win in the minor Chester Manifold Stakes at seven furlongs at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Jan. 1.

Racing has gotten tougher since then, and will continue to be when Lighthouse has her career Group 1 debut in Saturday’s $540,900 C.F. Orr Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.

Owned by Larry, Nancy, and Jaime Roth’s LNJ Foxwoods stable, Lighthouse was 8-1 in early betting Thursday behind Sinawann (3-1) and I’m Thunderstruck (5-1).

Lighthouse, a winner of 7 of 14 starts, began her career in California with trainer Simon Callaghan. In nine starts in the United States, Lighthouse’s best result was a win in the $400,000 Music City Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf at Kentucky Downs in September 2020.

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A 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by Mizzen Mast, Lighthouse was beaten for the first time in Australia in her fifth start in the country when second by a half-length as the 4-5 favorite in the Barton Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Jan. 26. Now trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Lighthouse closed from sixth of eight, but could not catch Open Minded, who starts favored in Saturday’s Group 2 Carlyon Cup at a mile at Caulfield.

Lighthouse is part of a strong field of 12 in the Orr Stakes.

Sinawann was second in the Group 2 Australia Stakes at six furlongs at Moonee Valley on Jan. 29 in his first start since a win in the Group 3 Heffernan Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield on Nov. 27. In the Australia Stakes, Sinawann closed from ninth of 11 to finish 2 3/4 lengths behind Marabi, the odds-on favorite.

I’m Thunderstruck has won his last two starts – the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at a mile at Caulfield on Oct. 9 and the $5.64 million Golden Eagle Stakes for 4-year-olds at 7 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Oct. 31, Australia’s third-richest race.

The Orr Stakes is a prep for I’m Thunderstruck to several leading races in Australia in March and April, although the New Zealand-bred has run well following a layoff in the past.

The Orr Stakes is part of a nine-race program that begins at 8:40 p.m. Eastern, or 5:40 p.m. Pacific, on Friday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.