All-weather championship possible for Atom

A few still had chances at the business end of the Bet & Watch Titanbet.co.uk Handicap but well-backed 2/1 joint favourite Split The Atom was always looking strong ploughing a lone furrow 'down the fence.' He eventually emerged victorious by a length under Donnacha O'Brien at Dundalk.

Split The Atom's fellow market-leader Primo Uomo also attracted his fair share of support, and though getting the better of eventual third and fourth, Strategic Force and Geological by a neck and a neck down the centre, he had to yield to Pat Shanahan's victor.

"He'll probably come back here in two weeks time for a six furlong race," said Shanahan of the Thistle Bloodstock-owned and bred course-specialist.

"Seven, six or five it doesn't make any difference to him. I thought the five might catch him out but it didn't in fairness to him.

"He's paying for his dinners and he likes it around here.

"I hadn't considered the all-weather championship races with him as he was too lowly rated but I might have a look now.

"There is only a mile race here and I don't want to go a mile with him in better company so I'll look at bringing him over to England."

(GC & EM)