Eight-year-old Lightning Jolt, whose career was in considerable jeopardy six years ago, is enjoying a major change to his training program and he maintained his purple patch of form with a fighting victory in the 2130m TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Byford trainer John Oldroyd explained the WA-bred gelding’s excellent form of six starts for two wins, two seconds and two thirds in his current preparation by saying he is thriving on a diet of swimming.
“I’ve changed his work around a lot this time in,” said Oldroyd. “He’s an eight-year-old and I know it sounds crazy that it has taken me such a long time to work things out. I have started swimming him in the pool at the Byford track and have backed his fast work right off.
“He was a very good horse as a baby and was one of the State’s best two-year-olds. But he has had chronic leg problems and didn’t race for 16 months at one stage. He did a tendon and was given only a 30 per cent chance to stand up and race again.
So, I sent him to Debbie Lewis for ten months, and she did a terrific job with him, putting him on the walker and treating his leg every day. And at his first run after 16 months, he was just beaten by Walkinshaw (in October 2017).
“He is a funny sort of horse and the not the nicest to jog in the cart. He has never been easy to get on with, but for the past six months he’s been a lot easier to get on with at home, a lot more placid. Before, he would kick and bite you.”
Lightning Jolt has done a wonderful job to have had 101 starts for 16 wins, 32 placings and $183,335 in prizemoney. By Canadian sire Village Jolt, Lightning Jolt is one of only two foals out of Barnett Hanover mare Sandys Success.
The first foal, Mynameskenny, a full-brother to Lightning Jolt, was an excellent performer for Oldroyd, earning $199,195 from 21 wins and six placings from 43 starts. Mynameskenny’s most important win was in the Diggers Cup at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on April 23, 2016. It was indeed a memorable moment on Friday night with Lightning Jolt winning on April 23, 2021.
Lightning Jolt was a $3.80 chance from barrier five in Friday night’s event in which Ryan Warwick gave him a perfect trip in the one-out and one-back position before the oldtimer got to the front about 470m from home and fought on determinedly to win by a half-length from another veteran pacer Major Stare, who finished strongly from last at the bell.
by Ken Casellas