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David Atkins – Put His Horse Before Crack At Slipper Glory
By John Curtis
DAVID ATKINS is a man of principle.
Even with nigh on four decades of experience – and with a real live chance who had qualified – nothing could sway the skilful Newcastle trainer into having a runner in this year’s $5m Golden Slipper Stakes!
Some might call him foolish to bypass having a crack at winning the world’s richest juvenile event, but they don’t know Atkins.
There was no way he was going to ask Promitto’s breeder-owner, Newcastle businessman Matt Chidgey, to fork out a cool $150,000 as a late entry fee for his unbeaten youngster to line up in the dash for big cash.
“I wouldn’t ask anyone to pay that sort of money; it’s not me,” Atkins said.
“Promitto could draw the outside barrier and, in any case, he’s not really a 1200m horse.
“Matt left it to me, but he was prepared to pay the late entry fee If I wanted to run the colt, or send him for a spell.
“He has already gone to the paddock and will be out for a couple of months.
“It’s the right decision because I’m sure the best is still ahead of him, and am confident he will run 1600m.
“Winning both his starts at Newcastle (900m on debut on February 12) and the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m at Royal Randwick a fortnight later, which automatically qualified him for the Slipper) were a bonus.
“You never know when a horse walks through your stable door what might happen.”
Prophetic words indeed!
“Promitto kept improving from the first time he came in to the second time, and is a nice mover.
“I’ve got no doubt he will be better as a three-year-old.”
Atkins isn’t prone to outlandish statements. Quite the opposite. A hard worker and unassuming, he much prefers to let his horses do the talking for him on the track, and has been around them long enough to know a good one.
Trainer David Atkins Photo: davidatkinsracing.com.au
Thus his decision to forget about seeking Slipper glory and look to the future has to be respected.
Promitto (by Divine Prophet) is the second foal of the Lonhro mare Lohgairo, whom Atkins trained for the last eight of her 14 starts, along with her first foal The Juke (by Sidestep).
Neither made city grade.
“Lohgairo won two races at Taree and Cessnock, but wasn’t a good eater,” Atkins said.
“The Juke was a bit weak. He won a maiden at Port Macquarie, and was retired after six starts.
“This bloke (Promitto) is totally different. He’s a good doer; you couldn’t fill him up.”
Interesting to note that Promitto’s granddam Air She Goes (trained by Grant Delaney) won 12 (including six in Sydney and the 2001 Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast) of her 24 starts.
Whilst few trainers can pride themselves with having a Melbourne Cup runner at 21 years of age, Atkins certainly can.
He won the 1986 Moonee Valley Cup with Reckless Tradition, who then finished seventh to At Talaq in Flemington’s famous “two-miler”.
Not bad for a $1500 buy at a Sydney sale. With Robert Thompson up, Reckless Tradition gave his trainer and owner, the late Maitland car dealer George White, a tremendous thrill when the Cup carried a $1m prizemoney tag for only the second time.
“He ran super,” Atkins said. “We gave him a great chance and finished better than anything else.”
The Atkins name has long been synonymous with racing in the Hunter.
Father Darryl, an accomplished horseman and now retired, was a successful trainer, whilst David is the fourth of six children.
Sadly, two of the siblings are no longer with us. Older brother Greg was killed in an accident at the former Patinack Farm base at Canungra (Queensland) a decade ago, and meningitis claimed the life of younger brother Robert in his 20s.
Another older brother Phil also trains at Newcastle’s Broadmeadow racetrack.
Atkins recalls riding trackwork for his father on the East Maitland golf course, whilst in fifth class at school.
“It was a 1600m dirt track,” he said. “There were eight to 10 trainers who prepared their horses there at the time.”
Atkins was apprenticed to his father for two years until increasing weight put paid to that part of his racing career.
Modestly, he says he was “nothing special”, but 49 winners in a relatively short time tells a different story of his ability.
“I wasn’t too disappointed when I finished riding,” he said. “To be honest, I was more interested in training anyway.”
Atkins got his licence when he was 18 – and without any fuss. Then Newcastle chief steward John Haigh knew the family well, and handed him his licence without asking any questions.
At one stage, he took a break from training after a fall out with Reckless Tradition’s owner and went to Emirates Park (then Blandford) at Murrurundi to work with horses. His parents were there; his father being in charge of the stud’s stallions.
The lure of training was too strong and nine months later he was back at it, eventually getting Reckless Tradition back into his stable.
Atkins has never been too far from a good horse. He moved to Newcastle – and hasn’t left – in 1994 to help out trainer Kevin Burns when his talented sprinter Moss Rocket was a late three-year-old.
“Kevin had heart trouble, and I took Moss Rocket to Melbourne for a number of campaigns,” he said.
“He was a very smart horse. I rode him in his work and would love to have him now.
“Moss Rocket won both the Challenge and Expressway Stakes at Randwick in early 1995 and then ran third to All Our Mob and Hareeba in the Group 1 Newmarket at Flemington.
“Later that year he won The Shorts at Randwick and Chirnside Stakes at Caulfield before being narrowly beaten in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley.”
Eleven times winner Impaler was another star of Atkins’ stable, snaring six of his first eight starts (including the Hobartville Stakes at Randwick as an early three-year-old), and like Moss Rocket, won a Challenge Stakes (also run at Warwick Farm, in 2005).
Atkins took great satisfaction from winning the 1600m Scone Cup with the gelding only two months after he landed the 1000m Challenge Stakes.
“I was confident he would run the mile even though everyone thought he was suspect,” he said.
Impaler nearly gave Atkins and connections a huge Group 1 result when runner-up in the 2006 Doomben Ten Thousand.
“His lead-up work had been terrific,” Atkins said. “Shane Treweek rode him, and part-owner Doug Crich, who continues to be a great supporter of mine, backed him at $151 and $101.
“Impaler ran second to Undue, and then won the Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich three weeks later.”
With a heavy heart, Atkins spoke of the passing last year of another of his great supporters, Tom Myles.
“Tom was at my stables every afternoon helping out. He nearly made 87, and I miss him dearly.”
As for Promitto, who races in the colours made famous by the “Goondiwindi Grey” Gunsynd, Atkins his eyes firmly focused on the early spring three-year-old races with the youngster.
“He is the quietest colt I’ve trained,” he said. “Nothing upsets him.”
Very much like his trainer!
HOOFNOTE: Atkins has a couple of smart young horses in Harvey’s Way and Contributing Factor, which he is attempting to qualify for the $500,000 Provincial-Midway Championships Final at Royal Randwick on April 9.
