Cote Atlantique set for Aurie's Star Handicap as Dwyer maps out spring goals

Trainer Henry Dwyer anticipates that Cote Atlantique's existing fitness will be sufficient for him to make a strong impact first-up in the Aurie's Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington this Saturday.

The imported galloper from Ireland is returning after competing in Victoria, New Zealand, and Brisbane. Dwyer is of the opinion that the gelding has emerged from his winter preparation in ideal shape.

Dwyer observed Cote Atlantique's final gallop at Ballarat on Tuesday before his own departure for the United Kingdom, where stable star Asfoora is scheduled to compete in the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday evening (Melbourne time).

During his initial Victorian stint, Cote Atlantique achieved several notable results, including a second-place finish behind the future Group 1 victor Sepals at Caulfield, followed by a fourth behind Evaporate and Transatlantic at Sandown. These two horses later went on to quinella the Toorak Handicap.

He also recorded a significant win in the Seymour Cup, defeating the well-regarded Saint George.

Dwyer felt the gelding experienced some bad luck during his Brisbane campaign, but stated that the primary benefit was avoiding the severe Ballarat winter conditions.

"He's fully acclimatised now and he's had the winter up in Brisbane just to get him out of the cold at Ballarat," Dwyer said. "He was a bit unlucky in a couple of runs up there and he probably should have won a couple with even luck. He's a good, genuine, honest sort of horse. I think about Listed, Group 3 class. He had those runs up there, he's had a really light four weeks between runs. He had a gallop on Tuesday, which was pretty much his only gallop in four weeks, but he has good residual fitness."

"We thought we'd give him a run down the straight and then there's a nice 1400-metre Listed race, the Leon Macdonald Stakes, in Adelaide three weeks later. It's a weight-for-age race, he's rated 100, so it's a bit hard to place him, but he seems in good order."

The trainer conveyed that the stable intends to campaign Cote Atlantique strategically through the spring, targeting races that align with the consistent galloper's strengths.

"It's a long spring ahead and there's plenty of options for him," Dwyer noted. "We'll find the weakest races we can. He's been very consistent without winning a lot of races in his time here. I think he's best at 1400 metres with the blinkers on, so I don't know if we'll stretch him out to the mile again. He just gets the mile, but he wants soft tracks too."

Meanwhile, Dwyer has reunited with Asfoora in England after the mare arrived in Newmarket on Wednesday in preparation for her Group 2 race at Goodwood. This represented the trainer's first opportunity to see the mare since her last-place finish in a Group 3 event at Sandown on July 4.

"She seems good," Dwyer commented. "She had 10 days in the paddock after Sandown and is 10 days back in work. She looks terrific. She's sound, there's nothing wrong with her. She can run on Friday and hopefully run well and then most likely go to stud."

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