Atomica to outclass rivals in Labour Day Trophy

ATOMICA’s last-place finish in the Saint Cecelia Cup, 14 lengths behind I AM FRED at six and a half furlongs, was greatly exaggerated by Dane Dawkins easing the filly while fifth along the rail a half-furlong out, her path blocked by dying YELLOWSTONE, who had ambitiously carried the field for almost four furlongs.

Making her seasonal debut with near topweight off a four-month break, ATOMICA could not have asked for a worse day at work. First, breaking from the one hole was already an albatross around ATOMICA’s neck, compounded by a stuttering start, forcing Dawkins to hustle her into disputing then chasing YELLOWSTONE with three of the hottest horses in training on her outside – SHE’S MY DESTINY, I AM FRED and RUNAWAY ALGO.

Apparently someone failed to hand YELLOWSTONE the memo, pointing out that the Saint Cecelia was actually stacked with grade-one runners masquerading as open-allowance company, hence his suicidal splits of 34.1 and 46.1, before I AM FRED and RUNAWAY ALGO attacked as a team off the home turn, jazzing up the tempo to 57.0 a furlong and a half out.

The effect was a rusty ATOMICA getting caught in the slipstream, reporting off two distance races four months prior, with no real sprint blast as preparation. ATOMICA did her best, chasing super-fit YELLOWSTONE, but failed to kick when the big three – SHE’S MY DESTINY, I AM FRED and RUNAWAY ALGO – crowded her leaving the three pole.

The brave filly still straightened fifth, darting to the rail behind YELLOWSTONE, who ran his best race ever, staying on after being dismissed by the class horses. ATOMICA was all set to run by YELLOWSTONE along the rail but had to be taken in hand by Dawkins, allowing fourth-place KING ARTHUR to lead the cavalry charge of closers which relegated her to last.

Though returning to stall one, ATOMICA, who destroyed grade one in the Jamaica Cup last November, reports two classes lower in overnight company against rivals, who have never felt open-allowance pace.

Gary Subratie continues to treat ATOMICA with kid gloves in the mornings, but she is leagues above overnight allowance and should make light work of the Labour Day Trophy with the Saint Cecelia run under her girth.