Weight record beckons for Avoid Lightning

Thursday 4 June 2015, 3:58pm

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.

– AAP

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