Newcastle based Group One winning sprinter Atomic Force made a winning start to his Melbourne Spring Carnival with an impressive victory in today’s listed Slickpix Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

Prepared at Broadmeadow by Darren Smith Atomic Force showed good natural improvement from his recent first up run, when third in the listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago.

He tracked the speed machine and favourite Avenue throughout, before switching off her heels in the straight and sprinting straight past her for a brilliant win.

“The horse has come back really well from last campaign and today he showed he can do it on top of the ground as well as on a wet track,” Smith said.

“There were probably no A Graders here but he still won well and he will go to the Valley in three weeks (for the McEwen Stakes).”

Champion jockey Damien Oliver was impressed with the acceleration shown by Atomic Force to sprint past the favourite Avenue in the straight.

“He has got a good turn of foot,” Oliver said.

“She (Avenue) was really humming along and he went past her pretty quickly,” he added.

Atomic Force, bred in Queensland by Geoff and Kathy Warfield, was sold for $50,000 through the draft of Raheen Stud at the 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was purchased by Dean Watt of Dynamic Syndications.

The win was the ninth from 31 starts for Atomic Force – now an earner of $689,600 for his jubilant connections.

A six-year-old gelded son of Danehill Dancer, Atomic Force is one of five winners produced by the former top class Luskin Star mare Show of Force.

A winner of two races at two – Show of Force was second in a Group Three Sweet Embrace Stakes and third in three stakes races including the Group One AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes. She was also fourth in a Group One Champagne Stakes.

One of Atomic Force’s half sisters, the placed Flying Spur mare Countess Zoya, is the dam of the twice winning and stakes performed kiwi galloper Ali Spur.

Show of Force is from Reinforce, a Sydney winning half sister to six time Group One winning star Encounter (11 wins and over $2 million).

A half sister to Atomic Force, by popular Queensland based sire Hidden Dragon, is being prepared by Robyn Wise for the 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Winner: Atomic Force
Breeding: Danehill Dancer-Show of Force (Luskin Star)
Race: MRC Slickpix Stakes LR (1100m)
Sold for: $50,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Raheen Stud
Buyer: Dynamic Syndications
Earnings: $689,600
Owner(s): Dynamic Syndications Atomic Syndicate, M Henke, A Keith, New Horizons Syndicate, Ms C Chiverton, M Pearce, S Mazzeo, S & Mrs S McCrea & P Bennett
Trainer: Darren Smith (Broadmeadow)