Avoid Lightning has rounded out Day 2 of The Championships in style for trainer Les Bridge this afternoon; mustering a strong turn of foot in the final straight at Randwick to take out the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m).

Jumping from the gates well, Tim Clark settled the Blevic mare on the heels of early leader Fine Mist, who set a noticeably quick tempo away from the barriers and approaching the bend.

Offered a clear racing line upon arriving wide on the final straight, Avoid Lightning steadily spooled-up and charged forward; locking in a fierce sprint battle with Griante before poking clear in the final 50 metres; Fine Bubbles boxing on for third.

Clark has partnered Avoid Lightning through most of her 26 start career to date and was thrilled to return the winner’s circle aboard the gutsy mare in the 2015 Sapphire Stakes.

“She’s been a wonderful mare and obviously had conditions to suit today, being wet,” Clark said.

“I put her outside the speed today and they challenged her 300 out; Griante probably just got a margin on me inside the furlong but she’s all heart and she gave me everything she had and really proud of her.

“She’s not very pretty to look at but she’s got a big heart and she’s just thrived since she’s been in Sydney and this is the race he’s (Bridge) targeted her at the whole prep.”

Bridge was thrilled to have saddled Avoid Lightning to success in the 2015 Sapphire Stakes but revealed he was worried when Clark led the six-year-old wide rounding the bend.

“I’ve had a lot of good mares and have trained horses for 50 years now and she’s the best wet-tracker,” Bridge said.

“I got a shock and wasn’t really happy to be truthful but the way the track’s playing I knew Timmy didn’t want to be too wide on her or too far back.

“They didn’t go that hard; they gave her a pretty cheap run up there.

“She’s just a quality mare and that’s what they do.”

Punters who backed Avoid Lightning to win the 2015 Sapphire Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au have been paid out on generous $3.70 odds for success!

2015 Sapphire Stakes Results

Finish	No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Margin	Bar.	Weight	Starting Price
1	3	AVOID LIGHTNING	Les Bridge	Tim Clark	–	7	55.5kg	$3.40F
2	4	GRIANTE	David Brideoake	Steven Arnold	0.5L	1	55.5kg	$7
3	7	FINE BUBBLES	Kris Lees	Zac Purton	2L	11	55kg	$51
4	13	FINE MIST	Bede Murray	Jason Collett	2.2L	3	53kg	$18
5	10	PERON	Peter G Moody	Tommy Berry	2.4L	9	54kg	$10
6	9	CHLOE IN PARIS	Ciaron Maher	Damien Oliver	2.8L	10	54kg	$4.80
7	2	BOUND FOR EARTH	David Vandyke	Blake Shinn	2.9L	5	56kg	$31
8	8	ATMOSPHERICAL	David Pfieffer	Glen Boss	3.2L	4	54kg	$12
9	11	BELLE DE COEUR	Chris Waller	Joao Moreira	3.4L	12	54kg	$18
10	12	ONEMOREZETA	Kris Lees	Jim Cassidy	3.7L	8	54kg	$31
11	6	SHAMALIA	Bart & James Cummings	Hugh Bowman	7.4L	6	55kg	$6
12	1	VILLA VERDE	Anthony Cummings	Brenton Avdulla	13.2L	2	56kg	$26