Lightening Rod

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Lightening Rod was by multiple Group 1 winner Storming Home, out of Bolero, an unraced daughter of Rainbow Quest. He came to us as a foal, bought from Tattersalls Sales in the winter of 2005. His long term aim was as a National Hunt horse and he was put away to grow, being brought in during the spring of 2008, when he gained the stable name 'Rodney'.

Like many a good jumps horse, he started his education in bumpers, winning two of his four starts at Market Rasen and Doncaster.

Lightening Rod's first win over hurdles came at Wetherby in 2009, ridden by Oliver Greenall. Later the same season he also won at Kelso. Then in December 2010 Lightening Rod became one of few horses to have won a bumper after going hurdling, when he won a 'jumpers bumper' at Southwell in 2010, one of the additional fixtures because of the long freeze and abandonment of weeks worth of jumps meetings.

In February 2011 Lightening Rod began novice chasing but his debut saw him fall at Sedgefield and after being placed back at Sedgefield he was unfortunately brought down next time out.

November 2011 saw Rodney win for the first, and only, time over fences at Hexham ridden by Jake Greenall. Back over hurdles he was a winner at Wetherby in April 2013, his liking for the West Yorkshire hurdles track confirmed when he completed a double there in late 2014. His victory in the 'totepool Supporting The Sport You Love Handicap Hurdle' on 6th December 2014 proved to be his last career win. He had stayed on strongly to run out a comfortable winner despite the lack of confidence in the betting ring as he drifted out from 9/4 out to 11/4. Harry Bannister was the rider in the plate as he defied a rating of 134, a nine pound hike from his previous Wetherby win five weeks earlier. Raised a further six pounds in the ratings he was always going to have his work cut out from then on. Lightening Rod ran his final race at Wetherby in April 2017, finishing runner up. His final three starts had shown three runners up places.

In all Rodney won nine races and almost £55,000 in prizemoney. He was a real yard favourite and spent his whole career here in Sheriff Hutton.