Wet weather suits Avoid Lightning in Gold Coast Tiara 2015

Unlike many others, jockey Tim Clark is excited about the weather forecast for south east Queensland ahead of the final Group One race of the season.

Clark will be reunited with Avoid Lightning in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at the Gold Coast where they will try to improve on her close third a year ago.

In her favour this year is the prospect of at least two days of steady rain which will help give her the soft surface on which she excels.

“I’ve been looking at the forecast and it’s going to pour on Tuesday and Wednesday and I hope it rains all week,” Clark said.

“She is just so good in the wet. The wetter the better.”

The Les Bridge-trained six-year-old was among 24 entries taken on Monday for the race which has a field limit of 16 plus five emergencies.

Clark was riding in Brisbane on June 6 when Avoid Lightning finished a neck second to Wouldn’t It Be Nice under 60kg in the June Stakes at Randwick where she was ridden by Josh Parr.

“I thought she ran great the other day,” Clark said.

“She was five weeks between runs and had to carry the big weight. It will just bring her on for the Gold Coast.”

The Tiara is restricted to fillies and mares and run at weight-for-age.

Avoid Lightning has four wins on good tracks but her 10 starts on rain-affected ground have brought seven wins and two seconds.

Clark will ride the mare in her final lead-up gallop at Randwick on Tuesday.

Stradbroke Handicap winner Srikandi has had two starts on heavy tracks for two wins and will be one of the favourites along with Najoom.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Najoom was the early favourite for the Stradbroke on June 6 but missed the race with a minor leg injury.

She proved she was back on target with a barrier trial win at the Gold Coast last week.

Article from justhorseracing.com.au

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