Atlantic Jewel stamped herself as a top class racehorse when she took on all comers and beat them in the Group 1 $400,000 Ticketek All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick today.
The unbeaten Atlantic Jewel made it seven from seven when she beat Rain Affair by one and a quarter stepping up to weight for age for the first time.
Christian Reith on Rain Affair went straight to front as predicted and set up a steady pace and Michael Rodd had Atlantic Jewel in second spot.
Reith increased the tempo at the 800m and skipped away by four lengths coming to the home turn and Rodd and to chase hard.
Atlantic Jewel dug deep and showed her class when Rodd went for her at the 300m and after a short struggle with Rain Affair moved away near the post to score a decisive win.
Winning trainer Mark Kavanagh will now send the Fastnet Rock filly to the paddock and prepare her for the Spring with the Cox Plate likely to be her main target.
“I think she’s done a pretty good effort. They ran pretty good time,” Kavanagh said.
“She’s on the improve. He’s a pretty tough old fellow that Rain Affair and he got a cheap sectional along the way. They don’t have to win by much, do they?”
“It’s her first test at weight for age, her first test against the boys and she’s had to work. She’s done it well, she knows how to win.”
“She’ll go to the paddock now and come back and head towards the spring.”
Kavanagh said he will discuss Atlantic Jewel’s spring campaign with connections over the next few days and map out the right program for her heading into the Cox Plate.
Rodd was full of praise for the glamour filly and said she responded terrific when he had to go for her at the 250m after having to work a little to get to Rain Affair.
“It wasn’t ideal for her with King Mufhasa coming out of the race. He was going to drag me up to Rain Affair,” Rodd said.
“She began brilliantly, I was able to get her straight away from the fence. I didn’t want to let Rain Affair get too far ahead of me and I was sort of having a bit each way, having to let her roll up a little and having to keep something in reserve. It was just a massive effort for her to do that.”
Rodd liked the way Atlantic Jewel found the line after he really had to go for her and said that she came through her toughest test with flying colours.
