ATOMIC FORCE was given a nightmare passage over course and distance last time out. He suffered repeated interference, was bumped around at crucial stages and forced wider than ideal, losing valuable ground in the process. By the time he finally saw daylight the race had effectively gone, yet he still stayed on strongly to finish third. P. J. McDonald returns to the saddle and was the last jockey to get a winning tune out of him. With better luck in running, 5/1 looks a very fair price.