Highly regarded juvenile Atomic is likely to skip the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes with Golden Slipper aspirations after scoring a brilliant debut win in the listed Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at Sandown today.
The son of Commands was allowed to settle back in the field by Ben Melham before unleashing a powerful burst in the straight in win impressively.
Trainer Lee Freedman wasn’t at Sandown, but his brother and stable foreman Anthony couldn’t help but be impressed with the performance.
“Over the last four or five weeks he’s really started to put it together,” Freedman commented.
“I was happy with the way he did it. He came from off the speed.”
“He should just get better – as the breed do as a three-year-old.”
“I don’t think he’s the natural style two-year-old. When you look at him he’s a long, scopy style and I think he’s doing it on good, raw ability.”
Freedman said it was likely they would not pay a late entry fee to get into the field for the upcoming Blue Diamond Stakes.
“Off the top of my head – probably not. We might freshen him and look at the Slipper or something.”
“It (the Blue Diamond) would be a bit of a rush and when you rush things you tend to get it wrong.”
“We’ll obviously have a good look at the race. But I think our inclination is to probably have that bit of a break and have a look at the Slipper.”
“It may be all too much for him in four to six weeks time but I’m sure when it comes to the spring and autumn next year he’ll be a lovely colt.”
Atomic, who won by a widening long neck margin, was purchased by his connections for $205,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Winning rider Ben Melham was suitably impressed with the performance of Atomic.
“You never know what you’ve got until you get to the races,” Melham said. “But he’d shown us the right attributes.”
“He’s got the right mentality to make a nice horse.”
“It’s good to see him come here today and win so well,” Melham summed up.
Atomic is the 37th individual stakes winner for his sire Commands – an outstanding sire son of the champion Danehill.
He is the first runner to date for the seven time winning and stakes placed Tale of the Cat mare Fluffy Duck.
Fluffy Duck in turn is a half sister to Pricked (a stakes winner in Adelaide prior to be sold to Hong Kong where is known as Albatross) vas well as Acupuncture, the Group Two placed dam of Intencion.
Atomic’s third dam is Mother Duck, who like outstanding sire Snippets was a graduate of the first ever Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast.
Mother Duck won four races at stakes level (nine in all) and was third in the inaugural Magic Millions 2YO Classic behind Snippets.
Atomic is a graduate of Queensland’s Rosari Farm and they recently sold his yearling half sister at the Gold Coast to top Perth horseman Simon Miller for $170,000.
Miller welcomed the result as he was busily inspecting yearlings for the 2011 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale which commences at 5pm (WA time) this evening.
Winner: Atomic (Commands-Fluffy Duck)
Race: MRC Chairman’s Stakes LR (1000m)
Sold for: $205,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Rosari Farm
Buyer: Victorian Bloodstock Agency
Earnings: $60,500
Owner(s): J O’Neill, J Deague, A Thompson, L Macri, K Pryke, M Lang, PNJ Racing Synd (Mgr: P Latimer), Mamaray Racing Synd (Mgr: M Pearce) & Fluffy Duck Synd (Mgr: C Brown)
Trainer: Lee Freedman (Rye)
