Midweek stakes-racing at Balaklava on Wednesday with the running of the Listed BTR Excavations Balaklava Cup (1600m), where the Justify gelding Air Assault demonstrated his courage to land a fifth stakes victory.
Ridden by Jason Holder for Andrew Gluyas, Air Assault repelled all challengers down the straight to defeat the Lope De Vega import Dubai Poet (GB) by a long neck, with the Ilovethiscity gelding Tippa a length back in third.
Air Assault advances his record to six wins, a second and four thirds from 19 starts, with earnings of $575,975
“The horse means a lot to us,” Gluyas said.
“There were a few queries today after coming off a poor run over 1400m (in the Leon McDonald Stakes).
“Credit to Stubbie (Jason Holder), he is on fire and loves this horse, and that was a great win.
“We were always going to be forward depending on what Sir Kingsford was going to do. He put a lot of pressure on us, and he absorbed that. He is a real racehorse and genuine.
“Leon (Mcdonald) is very emotional as he did not win the race, but he has some good friends here, including Doug Hall.
“We will look at the Toorak Hcp.”
Bred by The Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust, Air Assaultwas passed in short of his $100,000 reserve when consigned by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds to the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
He is a half-brother to Group I ATC Champagne Stakes winner Go Indy Go, Group III winner Essay Raider, and Group III placed Battle Brewing. He is the third stakes-winner among seven winners from eight to race for the outstanding producer Elegant Eagle, who was pensioned in 2023.
A winning daughter of champion sire Zabeel, Elegant Eagle is a sister to the dam of Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed from the family of Golden Slipper winner Ha Ha.
Southern Speed is at stud in Japan and is the dam of the promising three-year-old Cosmo Kuranda, winner of the Group II Nakayama Hochi Hai Yayoi Sho Deep Impact Kinen and runner-up in the Group 1 Satsuki Sho.
