Atom Eve wins Highway Handicap for Gardner

Norm Gardner will always be thankful he never judged Atom Eve on her solo track gallops after the mare made a winning return at Canterbury.

Starting favourite, Atom Eve enhanced a promising record even further when she rushed home from beyond midfield for leading country rider Mathew Cahill to land a $3.80 to $2.90 betting move in the Highway Handicap on Saturday.

“When you work her on her own, she is legless,” Gardner said.

“But put her with another horse or in a race and it’s a different story.”

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Atom Eve has now won five of her eight starts and Canberra-based Gardner wants to be part of The Championships action next year.

But a programming switch has left Gardner trying to work out a way to get Atom Eve onto racing’s biggest stage.

“Now that Canberra horses come under the provincial banner it throws my schedule out a bit,” Gardner said.

Gardner had timed Atom Eve’s preparation to include the Country Championship qualifier at Goulburn in February.

With Canberra horses now directed into the Provincial Championships, Gardner said he would have to adjust Atom Eve’s campaign.