Chain Of Lightning chasing a slot in $20mil Everest

Track conditions will determine whether Chain Of Lightning makes her return at Caulfield or is saved for another day.

The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained mare is down to run in the Group 3 Vale Black Caviar (1100m) on Saturday, her first start since finishing sixth in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in May.

Chain Of Lightning won the Group 1 T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick earlier in the preparation on heavy ground, and the stable would like some give in the track for the mare’s return on Saturday.

Coleman said there would be a discussion on whether Chain Of Lightning takes her place if the track was in the good range on Saturday.

“She’s one that we know needs a soft track, so we’ll be doing a little rain dance over the next few days and hoping those showers do hit Caulfield,” Coleman told RSN.

“We’re mindful of what she races on. If it is a firm deck, then she could stay home, as there are still a fair few options of where she could resume.

“With her, it really is just waiting for a suitable surface to see her run at her best.”

Chain Of Lightning went through the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale in May where she was purchased by Yu Long Investments for $2.5 million and kept in training.

After her one start in Brisbane, Chain Of Lightning was spelled in Queensland and according to Coleman returned to the Pakenham stable in excellent shape.

“She spelled really well up in Queensland after what was an amazing preparation,” Coleman said.

“She seems to have come in really good order. She seems happy within herself, her soundness is great, and she seems really bright and full of confidence after getting those couple of wins on the board last prep.”

Off the back of her win in the T J Smith in the autumn, Coleman said the stable would like to see Chain Of Lightning thought of as a contender for The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October.

But how the mare gets to that race, Coleman is unsure.

“It is a little bit difficult to have anything set in stone for her as her program is going to be so track and weather dependent,” Coleman said.

“We’re open minded. There are plenty of options, so it will be wherever she gets a suitable track, but if her form warranted it, and she was able to secure a slot in The Everest, then that would be very exciting.”