Canterbury driver Robbie Holmes has had a quiet season to date but has been presented with an excellent opportunity to take the limelight at Addington Raceway in Christchurch tonight.
Holmes has gained the drive behind the class eight-assessed Like An Atom in the $90,000 New Zealand Yearling Sales Series' Three-Year-Old Fillies' Pace, and he sees a second-line draw as the only obstacle.
"Most of them [rivals] haven't won races, and it will be a case of giving her a clear run," Holmes said yesterday.
"There will be quite a bit of driftwood coming back."
Like An Atom, trained at Cambridge by John Dickie, easily took out a heat of Nevele R Stud Fillies' series at Cambridge last week, and her connections expected her to derive considerable benefit from that outing.
Holmes added: "It's great that Marty Naylor [Like An Atom's owner] is giving me the chance to drive her. She's a lovely filly - very gutsy.
"She's worked very well on the beach this week and I believe that tomorrow night's distance (1950m) suits here."
Holmes, who is working a team of 14, has had Like An Atom at his property since Monday night.
"Things have been a bit slow this season. I've driven three winners and this would be a nice one to get."
Holmes, an under-rated reinsman, is no stranger to success in major races.
His biggest South Island win to date is a $45,000 Superstar Championship behind Master Triumph, while when earlier based in the north he landed the $75,000 Franklin Cup, with Gypsy Vance.
Like An Atom, who is under offer to Australian interests, meets a field of mixed quality in tonight's feature, and two of her main rivals have also been dealt tricky draws.
Her most tightly-assessed opponent Glacier Bay (class two) starts from wide on the front line, while Kamwood Gal, the best of Like An Atom's rivals at Cambridge, is on the outside of the second row.
Many punters will look no further than Like An Atom when assessing prospects in the second leg of the $50,000 pick 6 jackpot, and most will be anchoring Sly Flyin in the fifth leg.
Sly Flyin, a Sands A Flyin youngster with Burnham horseman Bruce Negus, makes his race debut but stunning trial form guarantees him favouritism.
Negus will be represented by six of the 12 runners in the race, with Em Be (by Holmes Hanover) and Smooth Force (by Ginger Man) bright hopes to make up the trifecta.
Sly Flyin is one of several top drives for Colin de Filippi.
He will steer the Kamwood Gal in the fillies' feature, and earlier in the night handles open-class mare Kym's Girl in the Fitzgerald Arms Tavern Mobile Pace.
- NZPA
Racing: Chance for Holmes to take limelight
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