The prospect of a rain affected track for the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Club Tiara (1400m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday will suit Sydney mare Avoid Lightning.
A wet track at the Gold Coast for the Tattersall’s Club Tiara will suit Avoid Lightning. Photo by Steve Hart.
The Les Bridge trained Avoid Lightning has outstanding wet track form with two wins from three starts on the heavy and five wins and two seconds from seven attempts on a soft track.
Avoid Lightning was a Group 2 winner on a soft 7 three starts back on the second day of ‘The Championships’ at Randwick when she beat Griante and Fine Bubbles in the Group 2 $300,000 Drummond Golf Sapphire Stakes (1200m).
The Blevic mare was then sent to Adelaide where she ran eighth to Miracles Of Life in the Group 1 $400,000 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 2.
Avoid Lightning then had her five weeks in between runs before Bridge gave her a Queensland Winter Carnival warm up with a second to Wouldnt It Be Nice on a soft 7 in the Listed $100,000 June Stakes (1100m) at Randwick on June 6.
The Gold Coast track is rated a soft 7 on Friday morning and even though there is minimal rain on the forecast, there is not a lot of heat in the Queensland sun at this time of the year with the Gold Coast heading for a top of 22 degrees on Friday and 20 degrees on Saturday.
“Whatever chance she had before it is greatly enhanced if the track is heavy,” Bridge told The Sportsman.
“She loves it, you know she is going to go through it and it’ll knock half the field out.”
Avoid Lightning has been a consistent money earner for the Bridge stable and since running third to Cosmic Endeavour in last year’s Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm, she visited the winner’s stall twice with a win in the Group 3 $125,000 City Tattersalls Club Nivison (1200m) at Randwick during the Sydney Spring Carnival as well as her victory in the Sapphire Stakes.
“She has won a Group 2 and a Group 3 since last year so she’s going all right and the wet track is going to help her,” Bridge said.
“Her last run was very good, I would say it was just the weight.”
Regular rider Tim Clark is back aboard Avoid Lightning after Josh Parr had the mount in the June Stakes, and Bridge can’t see him having any problems with the inside gate.
“She has good tactical speed and should be in a nice position,” Bridge said.
“The one alley will be all right because they will be coming away from the rails in the straight so there will be plenty of runs there her to take.”
Avoid Lightning is currently rated as a $7 chance in the Tattersall’s Club Tiara at Ladbrokes.com.au with the Gai Waterhouse trained Najoom still at the top of the market order at $3.90.
Najoom is listed as the second emergency and if she doesn’t gain a late call up on race morning the market will have to be adjusted accordingly.
Tattersall’s Club Tiara market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.90 Najoom, $4.40 Catkins, $4.60 Srikandi, $7 Avoid Lightning, $7.50 Lumosty, $15 Hazard, $17 Peron, Peggy Jean, $18 Solicit, $19 Dublin Lass, $21 Real Surreal, Politeness, $26 Estonian Princess, $31 Tarloshan, Rose Of Choice, $41 Bound For Earth, $51 Diademe, Jazz Song, $61 Thump.
