This Saturday at Scone Racecourse the Les Bridge-trained Avoid Lightning is set to jump favourite in the meeting’s sole Group race, the Dark Jewel Classic 2014 running as Race 6 at 3:15pm.
Avoid Lightning is favourite to win Saturday's Dark Jewel Classic 2014 at Scone. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
There are 11 fillies and mares left in contention for this year’s $200,000 Group 3 Coolmore Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) following the early scratching of #12 Oh My Papa.
Heading the Dark Jewel Classic betting markets at a current quote of $4.20 then is the widely drawn Avoid Lightning who will jump from the second widest gate with Tim Clark in the saddle.
She may be out wide but the Blevic five-year-old has been in excellent form of late including her Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) win in the mud at Rosehill two back.
Last start she finished runner-up to Cosmic Endeavour, who races for more prize money in the Inglis 3YO Guineas on Saturday, beaten two lengths in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) on April 19.
She’s had a month between runs then to freshen-up and comes into Saturday’s clash on the back of a winning barrier trial at Randwick from May 9.
The next best fancied in the Dark Jewel Classic odds are then Miss Stellabelle ($6) and Aerobatics ($6.50) drawn at opposite ends of the field in barriers three and 12 (into 11) respectively.
Gai Waterhouse’s Dehere mare Miss Stellabelle was third in the race last year, and while her winning strike rate is low, she does have nice lead-up form having finished fourth in the Group 3 Darley Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury last start.
The Darley Crown winner who had one and a quarter to spare over Miss Stellabelle meanwhile was Aerobatics, the John O’Shea-trained top weight (58kg) looking to go back-to-back despite her big weight and wide gate.
Rounding out the single figure chances are then last start Randwick winner Two Blue and O’Shea’s Hawkesbury Crown sixth placed Seaside on $7.50.
The Dark Jewel Classic market mover meanwhile is Lilliburlero now into $10, the David Payne-trained Redoute’s Choice four-year-old looking to improve on her disappointing and unexplained 12th in the Darley Crown.
The blinkers come off for Saturday and instructions to jockey Jeff Lloyd will be ride her more forward than last time when she got too wide on the bend to feature in the finish.
See below for the full Dark Jewel Classic 2014 betting odds, fixed win prices open now to Ladbrokes.com.au customers who can also access their winnings in cash from any ATM in Australia seconds after payout thanks to the Ladbrokes Card!
