Trainer David Pfieffer has revealed that the 2015 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in February is on the agenda for talented mare Atmospherical.
Atmospherical was far too good for her rivals in the Earl Grey Stakes during the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival. Photo by: Sarah Ebbett
Atmospherical scored a maiden win at black type level when she took out the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) at Scone in May and she stamped herself as a sprinter to watch when she defeated a strong field to take out the Listed Earl Grey Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Crown Oaks Day.
The impressive nature of Atmospherical’s Earl Grey Stakes win has Pfieffer eyeing Group 1 sprints with the Northern Meteor mare and he told Racing Ahead this morning that the four-year-old is set to return to the races in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1000m) before hopefully make her Group 1 debut in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Blue Diamond Stakes Day.
“She is now in the paddock having a well-earned break,” Pfieffer said.
“The plan is to look at Melbourne early next year and we are hoping for a first-up return in the Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield.
“With the level that she is at in her career it is probably one step at a time and if she performs well in the Rubiton then we will push forward to the Oakleigh Plate.
“If the Oakleigh Plate ends up being a bit rich for her than we will change our plans, but if she can shape up a be competitive in a race like that we can look at races like the Newmarket, The Galaxy or the TJ.
“They are all very good races and they are a very good bunch of sprinters in Australia, but I would like to be there and in the mix.
“Hopefully she can be competitive and we don’t want to be going there just to make up numbers.”
Atmospherical started her 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a slightly disappointing sixth in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on September 6, but failed to miss the placings in her four subsequent starts.
Pfieffer admits that Atmospherical will only have the opportunity for a short stint in the spelling paddock, but he is confident that the promising mare still has plenty of talent in front of her heading into the 2015 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
“She showed us that she is going to keep improving and hopefully she can keep improving to that level that I would like to get her too.
“She will only get about a month off, but she is a four-year-old mare and she hasn’t had a hard career and she didn’t have a hard prep last time, so it will be a short little break for her which will mentally freshen her up.”
Pfieffer is chasing his first win at the highest level of racing after he finished third with Gai’s Choice in the 2012 edition of the Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m).
