Concorde Stakes Resumption Likely For Atmospherical

Promising sprinting mare Atmospherical is set to return to the races in the 2015 Concorde Stakes at Royal Randwick on September 5.

Atmospherical will have the chance to return to winning form when she contests the Concorde Stakes. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Atmospherical will have the chance to return to winning form when she contests the Concorde Stakes. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett

Atmospherical was sent to the spelling paddock after she finished third behind That’s A Good Idea and Target In Sight in the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone on May 16, but she is now back in work and will likely have a couple of barrier trials before she resumes in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) and then heads to Melbourne for the rest of her 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.

Trainer David Pfieffer believes that Atmospherical is his best chance of tasting success at Group level during the spring and he is happy with the condition of the five-year-old ahead of the start of her preparation.

“Atmospherical is probably my main hope,” Pfieffer told Sky Racing HQ.

“She is going to trial on Friday week at Warwick Farm.

“We are looking at the Concorde for her first-up and most of the races that we are going to be targeting with her are down in Melbourne throughout the spring.”

Atmospherical stamped herself as a mare to watch when she took out the Listed Dilmah Earl Grey Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Crown Oaks Day last year, but she was unable to record a race win during her autumn campaign.

The daughter of Northern Meteor started her spring preparation with a promising third behind Chautauqua and Flamberge in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 14 and she finished a credible fifth in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 28 after receiving a dream run in transit.

Atmospherical returned to Sydney for the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21, but she was never able to get into the race and finished ninth before she finished a disappointing eighth in the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 11.

She was freshened up for the Ortensia Stakes and returned to a semblance of her best form to finish third in what has ended up being a fairly strong form race.

Atmospherical has recorded six wins from her 15 race starts and has already accumulated over $350,000 in prizemoney for connections after being passed in for $36,000 at the 2012 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.