New Zealand raider Desert Lightning has arrived in Melbourne ahead of Saturday’s $A3.65 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield.

In the colours of Barneswood Farm’s Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer, Desert Lightning has been a standout in his homeland this season for trainers Peter and Dawn Williams, winning the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m) at Trentham last December before securing a wildcard for the All-Star Mile with victory in the inaugural $1 million Aotearoa Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on January.

He backed that up with a third placing in the Gr.1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) last month behind Puntura and Aegon, who have also been afforded wildcards in Saturday’s rich feature.

“His races have been good,” Peter Williams told Racing.com. “His last start, he got a wet track and he hated it. If he gets a reasonable track, he’ll be fine.”

While looking forward to contesting the All-Star Mile, the Byerley Park trainer isn’t getting overawed by the occasion.

“It’s just a race, but we don’t get those sorts of races in New Zealand,” he said.

“We’ve had horses in the Sydney Cup (Gr.1, 3200m) and things like that over the years, so it doesn’t get to me too much.”

It’s been nearly two decades since Williams last campaigned a horse at Caulfield, winning a three-year-old handicap with Fiscal Madness, and he is looking forward to getting back to the Melbourne track.