Mark Kavanagh will decide later in the week when Melbourne racegoers will see comeback queen Atlantic Jewel again after the unbeaten mare made a memorable return to the racetrack trouncing her rivals in the Group 1 $350,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Atlantic Jewel races away to score a clear cut win in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Atlantic Jewel was having her first run for sixteen months when she blew away a star studded field with a two and a quarter lengths victory which left the Flemington trainer stunned and lost for words.
“It was an unbelievable performance,” Kavanagh told the Herald Sun.
The Coolmore owned mare has cemented her place at the top of the Cox Plate betting and is now the $2.90 favourite with Kavanagh to wait until later in the week to decide when he will run her again in her lead up to the Group 1 $3m weight for age championship of Australasia at Moonee Valley on October 26.
The Group 2 $300,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley in two weeks in one option but if Kavanagh gives her a three week break, the Group 1 $400,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21 is another option.
“We might want to give her three weeks between races. Until we have a look at her work during the week we will wait and see which way we go,” Kavanagh said.
Kavanagh was blown away with the ease of Atlantic Jewel’s eighth win from eight starts and knows that the unbeaten mare has a stack of improvement in her.
“It is frightening to think how much improvement she has in her,” Kavanagh said.
“How much better can she get.”
Kavanagh inspected Atlantic Jewel on Sunday morning and reported that she had recovered from the Memsie Stakes win in fine order.
“She is better today (Sunday) than yesterday morning before the race. She has eaten up and is sound and it is forward from here,” Kavanagh said on Sunday.
Kananagh also pointed out that as the distances increase, so will Atlantic Jewel’s winning margins as she showed in her three year old season with a widening seven lengths win in the 2011 Group 2 $300,000 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
“Her effort in the Wakeful Stakes was astonishing,” he said.
Kiwi star It’s A Dundeel wasn’t disgraced finishing fourth to Atlantic Jewel on Saturday after being ridden closer to the lead and is the second favourite in the Cox Plate market at $7.50 with Puissance De Lune on the third line of betting at $8 and Super Cool at $8.50.
