A Group One winner who wouldn’t be out of place among the stars during the Victoria Derby meeting will return to Sydney racing on Saturday.
Dynamic Syndications’ headline act Atomic Force is a confirmed runner in the Spring Flying – run under quality handicap conditions – at Rosehill.
The Galaxy winner, trained by Darren Smith, is expected to receive maximum topweight of 61kg in his first outing since finishing sixth to outstanding colt Sepoy in the Manikato Stakes last month.
“He’s back at Darren’s enjoying the wide, open spaces whereas when we took him to Melbourne it was like a concrete jungle for him in a city stable environment,” Dynamic’s Adam Watt said.
“He really thrives on being trained out of a paddock.”
Atomic Force was beaten 7-1/2 lengths into sixth place by Sepoy but Watt said an on-pace pattern played against the sprinter finishing closer.
“It was a wicked leader-biased track that night and the form from the race has been proven since,” Watt said.
“Sepoy has won again and More Joyous and Sister Madly ran one-two in the Tristarc Stakes.”
Jim Cassidy will ride Atomic Force for the first time.
Smith has been enjoying a dream run with Dynamic runners, training 10 winners for the syndication firm since the start of the season.
Watt believes the Newcastle trainer could easily improve his numbers for Dynamic before Saturday’s meeting if Midnight To Ascot is saved for a race at Canterbury on Friday night.
“He’s nominated for Saturday and Friday and while we don’t have a preference at this stage, Canterbury does look a nice race for him,” Watt said.
The Spring Flying has attracted depth outside of Atomic Force, headed by the richly-talented Al Dhafra from the Guy Walter stable.
Al Dhafra has been away from the racetrack for 12 months but he was regarded as a horse on the move during his three-year-old season with victories in the Canberra Guineas and the Carbine Club Stakes at Randwick.
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