Avoid Lightning will take sole ownership of a June Stakes record if she can win the Listed sprint race at Randwick on Saturday.
Avoid Lightning equalled the modern day weight-carrying mark set by Oranmore in 1977 when she carried 59kg to victory last year.
She has an 1kg to carry on Saturday, a task trainer Les Bridge says is tough but not overwhelming.
“She does carry weight well. She carried 59 last year … and she’s won a Group Two and a Group Three since then,” Bridge said.
“You couldn’t ask for any less than 60.”
The six-year-old will chase back-to-back June Stakes wins without the help of regular rider Tim Clark.
It will be the first time the jockey has missed a race ride on Avoid Lightning in 14 months after he opted to head to Doomben for the rich Stradbroke Handicap meeting.
Josh Parr takes over the reins in a move Bridge regards as a coup.
“I’m lucky to get him really,” Bridge said.
“He’s a big jockey, he doesn’t have to carry a lot of dead weight and he’s a nice quiet rider who should suit her.”
The highest-rated horse competing at Randwick on Saturday, Avoid Lightning is a drawcard runner for the winter meeting which Bridge used as a lead-up to last year’s Tatt’s Tiara.
The Group One fillies and mares race is again on his radar, although the Randwick trainer wants a rain-affected track.
“We want a bit of rain up in Brisbane, that’s why we’re not there this week,” Bridge said.
“I ran her in the Galaxy on a dry track and that didn’t work. She just likes the jar out of the ground.”
Avoid Lightning is the $3.80 favourite for the June Stakes with the Joe Pride-trained pair of Target In Sight and Diamond Oasis regarded as two of her biggest threats.
