Muswellbrook Monday previews: Lightning to strike thrice

Former multiple tri-state stakes-winning and Group 1-placed mare Avoid Lighting has three of her offspring in action at Muswellbrook on Monday for trainer Jeremy Gask.

Avoid Lightning, seen here ridden by Rosalie Pedler at Goolwa back in her South Australian days.

In-form trainer Jeremy Gask is on a hat-trick heading into Monday’s Muswellbrook meeting armed with not one, not two but three offspring of his and owner/breeder Michael Abdallah’s beloved mare Avoid Lightning.

Gask, whose more than 450 winners span Kempton in the UK to Kensington in Sydney – and plenty of other venues aside – recently added the Hill Stakes-day Highway winner Who Ever Thought to his tally.

Then, on Saturday, Gask was the toast of Newcastle after Crop Duster’s win in the coveted Jungle Juice Cup.

Gask has five of his string making the short trek from Scone to Muswellbrook including the third, fourth and fifth foals of acclaimed Blevic mare Avoid Lightning.

Born and raised in South Australia, Avoid Lightning won 11 of her 29 starts including the SAJC Lightning Stakes in 2012.

She spent the last portion of her racing career housed at Les Bridge’s Sir Dapper Lodge at Randwick, rising to ‘bonny mare’ status thanks to her wins in the Sapphire Stakes, Birthday Card Stakes, June Stakes and The Nivison.

Trainer Jeremy Gask with his Jungle Juice Cup winner Crop Duster. Picture: Bradley Photos

“All of my horses, bar a couple, are predominantly bred and owned by Michael Abdallah,’’ Gask began.

“He raced Avoid Lightning and I’ve had a long association with that family, even before I went to England.

“She’s no longer with us now, sadly, but she’s been a handy broodmare thus far.

‘’She hasn’t thrown anything like as good as herself yet but I am hoping, fingers crossed, that as can often be the case, that her daughters might be the ones that do so.’’

All five of Avoid Lightning’s foals have won at least one race; in fact they have a combined total of 19 wins between them.

That tally will rise to 20 should Avoid Lightning’s handsome son Major Lightning salute on debut in his 900m Maiden mission.

“He has just been a little bit slowly away in his previous trials but then he musters speed quite well, albeit they go slower in trials, but I am looking forward to seeing him run,’’ Gask said.

“I think he is probably going to improve with a bit of experience as most of mine do.’’

The second of the siblings to race on Monday is Little Bit Flash, who, not to be unduly harsh on her at this early stage, appears to be somewhat the ‘black sheep’ of the litter.

“She’s been a bit of an enigma for me,’’ Gask said.

“I must say she has disappointed me thus far. I thought she was going to go onto bigger and better things.

“It was trainer-error last time. I put the hood on her and stepped her up in trip and I’m not convinced that the trip (1600m) is not her go but the hood definitely didn’t suit her.

“I am probably just experimenting a bit to see what the key to unlock her might be.’’

Bringing it home for Gask, Abdallah and Avoid Lightning on Monday is her five-year-old son Climate Control who resumes in the TAB Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m with star apprentice Mitch Stapleford in the saddle.

“I think Climate Control is quite a handy horse when everything pans out for him’’ says Gask.

“He just pulled up a little bit flat last time so we gave him a little bit of a break, not a long break, he didn’t go out of work but we just gave him an easy time of it and I’m hoping he can return back to form.’’

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Bartley aims up with ‘nice filly’ at Muswellbrook

Group 1-winning trainer Tracey Bartley heads from Wyong to Muswellbrook on Monday with a pair of stablemates whose respective sires ran one-two in the ATC Canonbury Stakes.

The 2015 edition of the annual two-year-old feature was won by subsequent Golden Slipper-winner Vancouver ahead of Outreach, who retired with no additional appearances on his CV.

Vancouver’s five-year-old son Steam Clock goes around in the Magic Millions Maiden (1500m) on Monday whilst Outreach mare Magnolia Jewel resumes in a 900m Maiden earlier on the program.

Magnolia Jewel’s only run so far was a nine-length last behind Black Caviar’s grandson Keysborough on the Central Coast back on April 11.

“She was sore last time so she had excuses, ‘’ Bartley said.

“She’s had two nice trials back this time. She had a soft one first-up and then a bit harder the other day.

“I’m really happy with her. She should be able to win her maiden, surely, this prep.

“She’s a nice filly.’’

Bartley can take all the credit when Magnolia Jewel does shine given he bred her.

“I trained her mother (Meghalaya),’’ the Stradbroke, Kingston Town Classic and Railway Stakes-winning trainer said.

“She won a few races and was stakes-placed.’’

And while it seems logical that Magnolia’s Jewel future is in short-course racing, her stable companion Steam Clock could find himself getting out to 2000m at some point.

Steam Clock handed in an encouraging first campaign; his third at Taree in a mile maiden was bookended by a fifth (Taree) and a fourth (Wyong).

The China Horse Club bred bay was busy chasing first-up in a fast run 1200m Benchmark 58 at Port Macquarie behind the Marc Quinn trained Crowie’s Shout.

“He is ready to run a really good race,’’ Bartley declared.

‘The 1500m will suit him on Monday and obviously further after that.

“His is a big, staying-looking horse.

“He galloped well on Thursday so he’s ready to go.’’

Bartley meanwhile is eagerly chasing a potential second Four Pillars win in 2024 via the underrated mare Titanic Miss – if she makes the cut, of course.

‘She’s a Benchmark 65 and I don’t know if she will get a run,’’ previous winner Kiss Sum’s trainer said.

“She needed to run top three on Saturday in the Reginald Allen but it was a huge run; three deep outside the leaders and she got beat a length and a half.’’

Originally published as Muswellbrook Monday previews: Lightning to strike thrice