2010 Coolmore Lightning Stakes Preview

The Autumn Carnival kicks off at Flemington this Sat with the feature being the $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Lightning Stakes over 1000 metres. This race also makes up the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

The Lightning Stakes is a weight-for age sprint down the straight course featuring 13 runners this year – eight of which are three-year-olds.

The race was first run in 1955 and has been won by some of Australia’s best sprinters. The winners for the last 4 years were Scenic Blast, Apache Cat, Miss Andretti and Takeover Target. Trainer Bart Cummings has the record for most winners (8) but has no runner this year, and jockeys Damien Oliver and Harry White share the record of 4 wins each. Oliver will ride Nicconi.

Lightning Stakes Betting

The early market has fairly open betting. Centrebet has Starspangledbanner as $4.20 early favourite ahead of Burdekin Blues at $4.80. Sparspangledbanner hasn’t started since winning the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas in October and Burdekin Blues has won his last 4 starts.

Next in the market is Nicconi at $7, Irish Lights at $8, Headway and Shellscrape both at $10, Wanted at $11 then Duporth and Cannonball both at $17.

USA-Trained Horse Cannonball in Lightning Stakes

Five-year-old gelding Cannonball will be the first USA-trained horse to compete in Australia. He has drawn barrier 7, is trained by Wesley Ward and will be ridden by top American jockey Patrick Valenzuela. Valenzuela has ridden more than 4000 winners in his 30-year career but has never ridden Cannonball.