Luck goes with Avoid Lightning in Birthday Card Stakes

A change of luck for Avoid Lightning saw the former Adelaide trained mare score a narrow win in the Group 3 $150,000 Hyland Race Colours Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill today.

Avoid Lightning comes down the middle of the track to win the Birthday Card Stakes.

Avoid Lightning comes down the middle of the track to win the Birthday Card Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.

Avoid Lightning ($6.50) was having her second start for Randwick trainer Les Bridge after being sent up from the David Jolly stable in Adelaide in search of some soft tracks.

Today the Blevic mare handled the heavy conditions well to score by a nose over the unlucky Plucky Belle ($5) who was held up twice in the straight for Chad Schofield with Aerobatics ($8.50) also running on for third.

At her last start when fifth in the Group 3 $150,000 Roy Higgins Tribute Quality (1200m) at Randwick on March 15, Avoid Lightning was held up for a run in the straight but that wasn’t going to happen today with Tim Clark steering the mare to the middle of the track.

“He got to the outside today, Tim, which I was pleased about, She is a good honest mare,” Bridge said.

“I’ve had her about three months. She came from Adelaide, they sent her over here because they couldn’t get the races to suit her and they thought we might get a few soft tracks, so it’s worked out all right.”

“She is not a mare that has had a lot of racing, she might have a few more of those stakes wins in her.”

Favourite Single Style ($3.90) from the Gary Portelli stable was never in the race and finished out of the placings.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.