Lightning finally strikes for Jenna Amory

By Jordan Gerrans

Former North Queensland trainer Jenna Amory landed her first winner ‘down south’ on Saturday afternoon and was chuffed to do so with a galloper she has been on a journey with for a couple of years.

Lightning had not struck for the small Amory stable since they won a race with Sunshiny Girl at Innisfail's Pease Park back in February of 2017.

All they needed was a horse with the right name.

It was three-year-old gelding Lightning Strikes who landed the breakthrough prize for Amory and her partner Kris Zahmel as the son of Rothesay claimed the QTIS Three-Year-Old Maiden Handicap over 1200 metres on Saturday.

Owned by Toowoomba’s Garry Nolan, Lightning Strikes did not figure in the finish on debut in November of last year but he was much improved in his first-up performance around Clifford Park.

“We were happy with the performance as he has always shown a fair bit of ability,” the Darling Downs trainer said.

“He is just a big immature lump of a thing (laughs).