Atomica explosive in 1000 Guineas
Published:Sunday | June 5, 2022 | 12:16 AMAinsley Walters - Sunday Gleaner Writer
ATOMICA blew away the opposition in an eye-popping 1:37.0, making a 20-length mockery of the 1000 Guineas yesterday.
Hopping to the front in her usual swashbuckling style, the chestnut speedster extended her unbeaten run to five consecutive victories for trainer Gary Subratie, sprinting clear under a hand ride from Dane Dawkins for the entire mile.
Though the track was a bit on the fast side from the seventh event, sped up by a brief spell of rain, ATOMICA’s Guineas performance should have the colts and geldings quaking in their horseshoes ahead of next month’s St Leger at 10 furlongs.
All eyes will be on the clock after this afternoon’s 2000 Guineas for which Patrick Lynch’s BLUE VINYL is the ante-post favourite.
ATOMICA closed a two-timer for Dawkins on the 11-race card, having won the seventh with Richard Azan’s HIDDEN VALLEY, beating three-year-old maiden fillies at five and a half furlongs.
Dawkins, who was out injured for the latter part of May and started the day trailing champion jockey Anthony Thomas by four in their battle atop the standings, inched closer to his rival, who failed to ride a winner on the programme.
Omar Walker was the day’s top rider with a three-timer, opening his account aboard 4-5 favourite FEARLESS VIBE in the second event, before scoring signature front-running victories astride SUPERLUMINAL and SIR JOHN in the sixth and 11th races, respectively.
Leading trainer Jason DaCosta closed the late double with United States-bred I AM FRED upsetting grade-one rivals at 15-1 going nine furlongs and 25 yards, followed by SIR JOHN beating non-winners-of-three at odds of 5-2.