Trainer Jack Bruce admits Atmosphere can be unpredictable, but he hopes the gelding brings his A-game when he lines up as the $2.90 favourite in Thursday’s Barrier Reef Pools Class 5 Plate (1350m) at Ipswich.
Atmosphere was a beaten favourite last start, leading before fading to fourth at the Gold Coast, leaving Bruce frustrated.
“He’s been a bit of a headscratcher,” Bruce said. “Sometimes you have to ask Atmosphere which Atmosphere is going to be turning up… but at his best he has been dynamic.”
The six-year-old has won three races for the stable, two of them on Saturdays in Brisbane, and boasts previous success at Ipswich.
“He won his first start in Queensland at Ipswich… he’s certainly got a liking for the track,” Bruce said.
With set-weights Class 5 races rare at provincial level, Bruce feels the race suits — provided the gelding turns up.
“He is picky about which days he decides to put in,” he said.
Daniel Moor, now based in Queensland, takes the ride. Bruce praised the jockey’s strong start in the state, also booking him for Galifinaikis in Saturday’s Mooloolaba Cup.