A Group 1 race in Melbourne is on the agenda for Air Assault after the gelding led throughout to score in a Stakes race at Balaklava.
Overcoming the widest draw, Air Assault crossed to find the lead in the Listed Balaklava Cup (1600m) on Wednesday and held off the chasing pack in a determined victory.
Providing jockey Jason Holder with the fourth leg of a quartet of wins on the day, Air Assault ($6) scored by a long neck from Dubai Poet ($10) with Tippa ($17) a length away third.
Former South Australian-based jockey Jamie Kah will have to wait a little longer for her maiden win in the Balaklava Cup after her mount, the $5.50 favourite Favourite Child, was withdrawn after playing up in the barriers.
Air Assault’s win was Holder’s third in the Balaklava Cup whilst it was trainer Andrew Gluyas, who used to train in partnership with his father-in-law Leon Macdonald, first win in the feature.
Macdonald, who had a long and successful career, winning multiple Stakes races around the country, was unable to win a Balaklava Cup, but was on course to celebrate Air Assault’s victory.
Having returned with a pleasing first-up third at Morphettville, Air Assault disappointed second-up in the Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) in his lead-up start to Wednesday’s contest.
Gluyas said he had placed a big circle around the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 as the spring target for the gelding who was placed in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) last season having also won both the Morphettville Guineas and Port Adelaide Guineas earlier in the preparation.
However, the second-up effort had left Gluyas second guessing himself.
“The horse means a lot to us and off the back of a good three-year-old season there was a few queries on him today coming off a poor run over 1400 metres last time,” Gluyas told racing.com.
“He had a really good run first-up coming off a short break and I thought he might shed his winter coat a bit quicker, that’s still happening, and that tells us we have room to move.
“The Toorak was what we had a ring around for the campaign and if he was going to run a strong mile, that was where we were going to go, down in the weights, so that is something we will have a look at now.”
“Credit to Stubby (Holder). He’s on fire today and loves this horse and it’s a great win.
“He’s a racehorse. He’s genuine.”
