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By Ray Hickson

Trainer David Atkins doesn’t care about whether or not he’s won a Group 1 race before but he feels Buffalo is a very good chance of handing him his first at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer David Atkins (Pic: Grant Guy).

The gelding became the 61-year-old's third Group 1 placegetter when he ran third in the Inglis Sires’ two weeks ago and Atkins feels he’s going to relish getting out to the mile in the $1m Moet & Chandon Champagne Stakes (1600m).

The Newcastle trainer, who has prepared some smart gallopers like Impaler, Jonker, and his most recent stakes winner Promitto, says he doesn’t usually push a two-year-old to the track before their time but Buffalo was a natural.

“I’ve always had a pretty good opinion of him,’’ Atkins said.

“I was on the pony watching him when he was only young and he’s one of the best movers you’d see when he’s walking around, he carried himself really well.

“He’s not an overly tall horse but he’s got plenty of length about him and a long stride on him. He was a bit of a scoundrel, that’s why he was gelded.

“I don’t race two-year-olds very much but this bloke showed a bit as a yearling, he went out and came back in and showed a bit more and I was happy with what he was doing.

“He’s given me improvement all the time. He’s a very sound horse which is the main thing with a two-year-old.”

Buffalo, $7 with TAB on Friday, is a half-brother to Contributingfactor who has won six races up to 1600m.

After eye-catching finishes in the Silver Slipper and Todman, Buffalo broke his maiden status on his home track and Atkins could easily have pulled up stumps.

But, it seems, Buffalo didn’t want to and his Sires’ placing is proof.

“That wasn’t a bad race the maiden he won, some form has come out of that race,’’ he said.

“It was a really humid day and he pulled up a bit ordinary after it, took him a few days to get back on his feet.

“We took him down to the beach on the Wednesday morning and he was jumping around like a jack rabbit. He picked up after that and was really good again.”

The gelding ran the fastest last 600m (Punter’s Intelligence) in the Sires’ by two lengths, clocking 34.78, and the quickest final 200m of 11.98.

He turned near last and was held up for a short time but, more significantly, jockey Zac Purton reported to Atkins it was a baulk when the runner-up ran out just as he was just winding up that proved costly.

“Zac said if he could have got at him earlier he wins for sure, they wouldn’t have beaten him,’’ he said.

“He had to wait to come around and down the straight the horse on his inside just moved out a little bit and that didn’t help either.

“He only got wound up the last bit and Zac was very impressed with him.”

Jason Collett, who rode in his maiden win, is back on board and Atkins is adamant the 1600m will suit. He just has the fingers crossed he can be a little more versatile in the run.

“I’ve got no doubts at all, you don’t know until you try them but he’s so relaxed in a race,’’ he said.

Buffalo runs third at Randwick on April 5

“He’s very similar in his work. He’s going to be a great mile to 2000m horse.

“He doesn’t have that early speed, maybe in the mile race on Saturday they won’t go as quick so he can be a bit closer which would be good.”

All the fields, form and replays for All Aged Stakes Day at Randwick