Wednesday Racing: Air Assault on target for G1 Toorak with Listed Balaklava Cup win

Cover image courtesy of Racing SA

Air Assault’s Group 1 spring on target with Listed Balaklava Cup win

Trainer Andrew Gluyas dedicated Wednesday’s win in the Listed Balaklava Cup to his father-in-law and long-time training partner Leon Macdonald. Macdonald retired in 2023 and handed over the stable to Gluyas who won the race with 4-year-old gelding Air Assault (Justify {USA}).

Ridden by Jason Holder, who won an impressive four races on the card, Air Assault clung to the rail and led for most of the straight, digging deep to hold off all challengers over the mile trip and win by 0.4l from Michael Hickmott trained Dubai Poet (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) with Shayne and Chelsea Cahill trained Tippa (Ilovethiscity) 1l further back in third.

“It means a lot and the horse means a lot to us,” Gluyas said. “Leon was very emotional today and we talked about it, and he said that he hadn't won one (Balaklava Cup) and he would've loved to have won it. On the back of the good 3-year-old season there were a few queries on him perhaps coming here today off a poor run over 1400 metres but credit to Stubby (Holder), he's on fire today. It was a great win.”

The win was the fourth stakes win for Air Assault who had previously won the G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce S. at two and three Listed races at three. All up, he now has six wins and five placings from 19 starts with earnings over $570,000. The Cup was his first run as a 4-year-old.

Passed in as a yearling by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Air Assault will head to the G1 Toorak H. and he also holds entries for the G1 Caulfield Cup and G1 Cox Plate. Justify (USA) has had a strong spring in Australia already with the return of Storm Boy in the G3 San Domenico S. recently, but unfortunately the sire of 35 stakes winners isn’t shuttling in 2024.

Air Assault is one of three stakes winners for Elegant Eagle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who won three races including one at Morphettville. Her best foal is Group 1 winner Go Indy Go (Bernardini {USA}) who is a full sister to Group 3 winner Essay Raider. Those two came in Elegant Eagle’s first two foals, while third foal is stakes placed winner Battle Brewing (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Air Assault is her 10th foal, and seventh winner, and her last foal is an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Omaha Beach (USA). Elegant Eagle is a full sister to the dam of Group 1 winner Southern Speed (Southern Image {USA}) who is the dam of Japanese Group 2 winner Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}).

Mayne a promising graduate of NZB Ready To Run sale

Mayne (Written Tycoon) led into the turn at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday and showed a clean pair of heels to the rest of the field to kick away and win by 2.2l. The 3-year-old colt is trained by Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald and was ridden by Tyler Schiller who also rode him into third at this debut start two weeks ago. In second was the Peter Snowden-trained 3-year-old gelding California Bay (Dundeel {NZ}) with the Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old colt Maori Chief (I Am Invincible) in third.

A reasonably priced yearling at $90,000 from the Morningside draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Mayne was pinhooked by purchaser Kilgravin Lodge at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale where he sold to Blanford Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) for NZ$725,000 and he is now raced by Thurso Ltd.

Written Tycoon has already sired 25 winners and four stakes winners from his current crop of 3-year-olds, with Group 1 winners Lady Of Camelot and Velocious leading the charge. The other two stakes winners from that crop are Group 2 winner Captured By Love and Group 3 winner Althoff.

Mayne is the second winner for stakes-placed winner Fromparis Withlove (Smart Missile), who has a yearling filly by Capitalist. Fromparis Withlove is a half-sister to G3 James HB Carr S. winner Yattarna (Exceed And Excel) with both being out of Listed Chester Manifold S. winner Umaquest (Umatilla). It is early days for Smart Missile as a damsire, but he had a huge season in 2023/24 with dual Derby winner Riff Rocket (American Pharoah {USA}) and Group 2 winner in South Africa Royal Aussie (Saf) (Royal Mo {USA}) who became Smart Missile’s first two stakes winners as damsire.

Johnny The Kid dominates at Kensington

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 3-year-old colt Johnny The Kid (Trapeze Artist) became the 11th second crop winner for his sire with a bold front-running win at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday. Sent to the front by jockey Nash Rawiller, Johnny The Kid was briefly headed on the turn but bolted clear to win by 3l from the Gregory Hickman-trained 3-year-old gelding Rawtion (Shamus Award) and the John Sargent-trained 4-year-old mare Ocean Diva (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) half a length further back in third.

“Maybe through a Dulcify, Gloaming to a Spring Champion. He has had a good grounding for it,” Bott said. “It is plenty of runs but he is the sort of horse who could cop it. Off the back of that, I think he'll get further. Between that 600 and 400-metre mark, it took him a little while to get into gear and he was still a little bit flat-footed. We might stretch him over a bit further, test him up against his own age in some better-quality races and see how he measures up.”

Johnny The Kid showed promise early, running second on debut in Sydney as a March 2-year-old before a mid-field effort in the G3 Pago Pago S. Sent out to spell, he returned at three with three solid efforts before today’s win. His career record is a win and three placings from six starts with earnings over $81,000. Raced by John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud and partners, Johnny The Kid was purchased by his trainers with Kestrel Bloodstock from Widden Stud for $120,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Four-time Group 1 winner Trapeze Artist’s first crop has just turned four, and he is the sire of three stakes winners led by last season’s G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Griff. Both Ducase and Facile are Group 3 winners while he has a further seven stakes-placed horses.

Johnny The Kid is the eighth winner for Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. winner I Got Chills (General Nediym) whose other win was in the Listed St Albans S. Her best winner to date is The Yowie (Redoute’s Choice) who won eight races including a city race in Queensland with over $143,000 in earnings. Her dam, Tidfish (Imperial Prince {Ire}), is a juvenile winning half-sister to Listed winner Rise ‘N’ Shine (Luskin Star).

Rosemont Stud’s Narbold makes a bold statement

Stakes placed at two, Rosemont Stud’s 3-year-old colt Narbold (Churchill {Ire}) won at Sale for trainer Chris Waller and jockey Damian Lane. He had to work hard for the victory, sprinting home from mid-field down the centre of the track to nudge out the leading pair by 0.25l. Trevor J Andrews trained 3-year-old colt Royal Hill (So You Think {NZ}) was second with the Michael Moroney and Glen Thompson-trained 3-year-old gelding Monte Cassino (NZ) (Tivaci) very close in third.

“It was great to see. Obviously, Rosemont, Nigel Austin and Mr (Anthony) Mithen put a lot into the industry,” stable representative Beau Dunn said. “So, a colt with that sort of pedigree, you want to see them winning at a place like this heading into spring and albeit he did it the tough way, it was a good win. He was unlucky the other day, he was in a similarly run race, he was three-wide and faced the breeze on that day with the strong winds at Sandown when the races were called off.

“So, to come out and repeat a similar run - obviously no wind today - it shows he has a touch of class.” The win was the first by the Waller stable in Victoria this season and Narbold was Waller’s 25th starter in Victoria.

Narbold, withdrawn from the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, was first seen at the races as an April 2-year-old where he placed at Ballarat. Next up, he went to the city, running second to Epimeles (Dundeel {NZ}) in the Listed Anzac Day S. before another second at Flemington to round out his juvenile season. This season, he ran sixth first up at Caulfield before Wednesday’s win which took his record to a win and three placings from five starts with earnings over $92,000.

Four-time Group 1 winner and Classic winner Churchill (Ire) has shuttled to Australia since 2018 and his first crop, who are now five, have had 44 winners of 101 races with three stakes winners. All up, he has 22 Northern Hemisphere stakes winners and four down under – Group 1 winner Attrition, Churchillian (NZ), and First Immortal.

Narbold is the seventh winner from Churchill’s third Australian crop who have just turned three, and this crop already includes Listed winner Imperialist (NZ).

Narbold is the first winner for winning mare Noblest (GB) (Pivotal) who is a full sister to champion race mare and dual Group 1 winner Peerless (GB). Peerless has been a wonderful broodmare, leaving Listed winner Ladyship (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), dam of recent G1 Lockinge S. winner Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}), Group 3 winner Esquire (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Group 3 winner Dark Lady (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Peerless also produced stakes-placed winner of 11 races Kinsman (GB) (Exceed And Excel).

Sultry Siren wins at Doomben

Robert Heathcote-trained 4-year-old mare Sultry Siren (Snitzel) had five starts at three last season, and was never worse than fourth, but couldn’t quite find the winning post. She made up for it in her first start at four at Doomben on Wednesday with very tight win. Jockey Martin Harley stuck to the rail and led down the straight with $2.25 favourite 4-year-old mare Iced Chocolate (I Am Invincible), trained by David Vandyke, closing in, but Sultry Siren fought hard to win by 0.09l. In third was Tony Gollan trained 4-year-old mare Ivy Dexstress (Sidestep).

Sultry Siren now has a valuable city win on her record, which stands at a win and three placings from six starts. Purchased by Paul Willetts Bloodstock from Newgate Farm at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $360,000, she is by Champion Sire Snitzel.

She is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Shadow Hero (Pierro) who earned over $1.5 million winning both the G1 Randwick Guineas and G1 Spring Champion S. in the 2019/2020 season.

Their dam, Sookie (Casino Prince) won four races including the G3 Glenlogan Park S., and has been a brilliant broodmare with four winners. As well as Shadow Hero, her first foal Picaro (Pierro) won six races and over $260,000. She has an unraced 3-year-old gelding More Heroic (Pierro) and an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Pierro.

Sookie is out of Purple Blood, an unraced Encosta De Lago daughter of dual Group 1 winner and Champion 2YO Filly Victory Vein (Mr Henrysee {USA}).

Consistent Millbrae wins again

Lindsay Park trained 3-year-old colt Milbrae (Hellbent) is putting together a consistent record with his win at Sale taking his record to two wins and three placings from five starts. Ridden by Blake Shinn, he was sent out as favourite and kept punters happy with a 0.4l win over the Reece Goodwin-trained Austrata (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and Milbrae’s stablemate Desert Star (Deep Field).

Placed twice in two starts at two at the end of last season, Milbrae won at his first start at three at Swan Hill before placing in his last start. Hellbent is fashioning a good record as a sire with five stakes winners, two of whom are Group 1 winners – Magic Time and Benedetta.

Bred and raced by PA Woods and family, Milbrae is the third foal and second winner for unraced mare Musaway (Not A Single Doubt) who is a half-sister to G2 PB Lawrence S. winner Gentleman Roy (So You Think {NZ}) who put together an impressive 11 wins with earnings over $1.3 million, while another half-brother Jacquinot Bay (Galileo {Ire}) won two Listed races among his 15 wins and $1.2million. If Milbrae ends up with this type of longevity, his owners are going to have plenty of fun with him.

Hot Coco wins Pearl Series bonus race

At Riccarton on Wednesday, 4-year-old mare Hot Coco (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) won the Pearl Series bonus race to qualify her for the Pearl Final during the autumn of this season. The Pearl Series and Final is for fillies and mares, up to the age of five, who signed up in their 2-year-old season.

Hot Coco, trained by Nick Wigley and Kayla Milnes, was ridden by Kylie Williams and won by 0.4l from Samantha Wynne trained Ardour (NZ) (Proisir) with Terri Rae trained Morning Star (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) in third. Bred and owned by Inglewood Stud, who also stand War Decree, Hot Coco took her record to two wins and four placings from 12 starts.

Hot Coco is from War Decree’s second crop, the same crop which includes his runaway G1 Queensland Derby winner Warmonger (NZ) and Listed winner Luvnwar (NZ). War Decree’s other stakes winner comes from his first crop, Group 2 winner Val Di Zoldo (NZ). He has had only small crops to date with 41 winners so far.

From a fantastic kiwi family, Hot Coco’s placed dam Frothed (Lonhro) is a half-sister to G1 Australian Derby and G1 BMW S. winner Fiumicino (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), and their dam, Latte (NZ) (Maroof {USA}) is a daughter of Champion racemare Horlicks (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}).

Horlicks, who won 17 races including the G1 Japan Cup, G1 LKS Mackinnon S., the G1 DB Draught Classic twice, and the G1 New Zealand S. twice. Notably, the G1 DB Draught Classic was only run twice and Horlicks won it both times. It was New Zealand’s first $1million race. Horlick was a successful broodmare, producing six winners led by G1 Melbourne Cup winner Brew (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and his ill-fated Group 2 winning sister Bubble. She is the ancestress of Group 1 winners Sacred Elixir (NZ) (Pour Moi {Ire}) and Mr Quickie (Shamus Award), and many other stakes winners.

Four for Jason ‘Stubby’ Holder on Balaklava Cup Day

Jason Holder dominated the 10-race card on Balaklava Cup Day winning four races. He opened proceeding in the first winning on Andrew Gluyas-trained 3-year-old filly Wild Winner (Highland Reel {Ire}). Wild Winner led all the way and held on well to win by 0.1l from second-placed 3-year-old filly Mondello (Grunt {NZ}). Discreetly Blue (Blue Point {Ire}) ran third. Holder didn’t ride in the second or third race on the card, getting back in the saddle for the fourth which he won on the Byron Cozamanis-trained Bush Influence (Inference) who beat his maiden status at his 14th start and won by 0.2l.

Without a ride in the fifth, Holder jumped aboard the Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor-trained Everglade (Street Boss {USA}) in the sixth, and you guessed it, he made it three wins from as many rides when the 5-year-old and favourite just won by 0.1l. A nice type of mare, she took her record to four wins from 15 starts with earnings over $130,000. Holder didn’t ride in the seventh and finished mid-field in the eighth on the Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor-trained There Goes My Hero (No Nay Never {USA}), an omen result given the news about Dave Grohl’s infidelity coming to light on Wednesday.

And then it was the Cup, and yes, Holder, in his fifth ride of the day won the Listed Balaklava Cup on Air Assault to make it four wins for the day, and to make his statistics for the day incredibly impressive, he didn’t ride in the last.