Trainer Henry Dwyer is banking on Cote Atlantique’s current fitness to be sufficient for him to perform strongly first-up in Saturday’s Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

The Irish-bred import is returning after competing in Victoria, New Zealand, and Brisbane, with Dwyer believing the gelding has come through his winter campaign in ideal fashion.

Dwyer watched Cote Atlantique complete his final piece of work at Ballarat on Tuesday before heading to the United Kingdom. His stable star, Asfoora, is set to contest the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday night (Melbourne time).

Cote Atlantique produced several strong showings during his initial Victorian season, finishing runner-up to the eventual Group 1 winner Sepals at Caulfield. He then finished fourth behind Evaporate and Transatlantic at Sandown, with that pair later quinellaing the Toorak Handicap.

He also claimed an impressive victory in the Seymour Cup, defeating the highly regarded Saint George.

Dwyer felt the gelding experienced some poor luck during his Brisbane campaign but noted that the primary benefit was escaping the harsh Ballarat winter.

“He’s fully acclimatised now and he’s had the winter up in Brisbane just to get him out of the cold at Ballarat,” Dwyer stated. “He was a bit unlucky in a couple of runs up there and he probably should have won a couple with even luck. He’s a good, genuine, honest sort of horse. I think about Listed, Group 3 class. He had those runs up there, he’s had a really light four weeks between runs. He had a gallop on Tuesday, which was pretty much his only gallop in four weeks, but he has good residual fitness.”

“We thought we’d give him a run down the straight and then there’s a nice 1400-metre Listed race, the Leon Macdonald Stakes, in Adelaide three weeks later. It’s a weight-for-age race, he’s rated 100, so it’s a bit hard to place him, but he seems in good order.”

Dwyer indicated that the stable intends to carefully place Cote Atlantique throughout the spring, targeting races that best suit the consistent galloper.

“It’s a long spring ahead and there’s plenty of options for him,” Dwyer commented. “We’ll find the weakest races we can. He’s been very consistent without winning a lot of races in his time here. I think he’s best at 1400 metres with the blinkers on, so I don’t know if we’ll stretch him out to the mile again. He just gets the mile, but he wants soft tracks too.”

Concurrently, Dwyer has linked up with Asfoora in England after the mare arrived in Newmarket on Wednesday, preparing for her Group 2 assignment at Goodwood. This was the trainer’s first chance to see the mare since her last-place finish in a Group 3 race at Sandown on July 4.

“She seems good,” Dwyer confirmed. “She had 10 days in the paddock after Sandown and is 10 days back in work. She looks terrific. She’s sound, there’s nothing wrong with her. She can run on Friday and hopefully run well and then most likely go to stud.”

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