Atomic makes explosive debut over fences in TBA Mares P2P at Larkhill

A young, homebred mare won in great style when the latest leg of the TBA’s races for fillies and mares took place at Larkhill in Wiltshire on Saturday.

Atomic Tangerine, a five-year-old, bred, owned and trained by Robert Waley-Cohen at his Upton Viva Stud in Warwickshire, and making her debut over jumps following a bumper run last year, beat two highly-experienced older mares and did so with something in hand. Chasing her home in second was the Jack Barber-trained favourite Posh Totty, while My Flora was third of the five runners. The placed horses conceded weight to the winner, but she scored by seven lengths and 30 lengths in a good time.

Waley-Cohen, whose son Sam rode Atomic Tangerine, said of the mare: “It’s always a surprise to win with a horse first time out over fences, but it’s a delight when it happens. She’s a home-bred, by Midnight Legend out of Perle De Puce is worth considering, but that might be too big a question for such an inexperienced mare. We’ll see what happens in the next few weeks.”

#Trainer Victoria Collins later reported My Flora scoped dirty, and added she still hopes to run her in the TBA mares’ hunters’ chase at Cheltenham