Air Assault Lands the Balaklava Cup as Another Melbourne Spring Looms

Mark Smith - Wednesday September 11

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.

Advertisement

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.

Air Assault (image Racing Photos)

“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.

Advertisment

Race Result - BTR Excavations Balaklava Cup LR 1600m

Balaklava Track: Good(4) Time: 1:35.14
1
Air Assault
- 4g Justify (USA) x Elegant Eagle (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: A J Gluyas Rdr: J Holder 55.5
Justify
2
0.4
Dubai Poet
- 6g Lope De Vega (IRE) x Hundi (IRE) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Hickmott Rdr: J Bowditch 54
3
1.4
Tippa
- 4g Ilovethiscity (AUS) x Letmedowngently (AUS) (Musee D'orsay (AUS))
Tnr: Shayne & Chelsea Cahill Rdr: Rochelle Milnes 54
4
1.7
Sir Kingsford
- 5g Sir Prancealot (IRE) x Mighty Maher (AUS) (Al Maher (AUS))
Tnr: G & N Searle & B Callanan Rdr: Teagan Voorham 54
5
2.7
Maracourt
- 6g Hampton Court (AUS) x Marana Majic (AUS) (Scenic (IRE))
Tnr: Michael Hickmott Rdr: C Newitt 54
6
3.7
Alpine Flyer
- 6m Alpine Eagle (AUS) x Palazzo Miss (AUS) (Tough Speed (USA))
Tnr: Michael Hickmott Rdr: A Adkins 54
7
3.7
Arqana
- 5m Merchant Navy (AUS) x Bacchanal Woman (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
8
4.2
My Khalifa
- 6g Pride Of Dubai (AUS) x O'reilly's Charm (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: G Richards & D Moyle Rdr: D Tourneur 55
9
5.4
Second To Nun
- 5m Akeed Mofeed (GB) x Tidy Prophet (AUS) (Keep The Faith (AUS))
Tnr: W Clarken & N O'Shea Rdr: Kayla Crowther 58.5
10
6.3
Pudding
- 6g Tavistock (NZ) x Christmas Day (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: R & C Jolly Rdr: Jake Toeroek 56
11
6.9
Wild Imagination
- 7m Makfi (GB) x Scattered Dreams (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: David Page Rdr: Sophie Logan 54
12
7.2
Riverplate
- 6g Flying Artie (AUS) x Dynastic Lady (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: Michael Hickmott Rdr: Jessica Eaton 54
13
9.2
Arugamama
- 5m Churchill (IRE) x Reliability (AUS) (Kurofune (USA))
Tnr: A J Gluyas Rdr: Alana Livesey 54
14
11.6
Prince Jofra
- 6g Barbados (AUS) x The Bend (NZ) (Sir Percy (GB))
Tnr: Travis Doudle Rdr: Anna Jordsjo 54
More Reading...
First Stakes Horse for Home Affairs
The Group III ATC Breeders Plate (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday attracted a strong field of talented colts from the recent official 2YO trials in Sydney and Home Affairs looks to have a quality youngster in I’m Ya Huckleberry.
Justify 3YO Air Assault Wins Morphettville Guineas
A Group winner at two and a stakes-winner last spring, Air Assault had a class edge over his rivals in the Listed SAJC Morphettville Guineas (1600m) on Monday and led all the way for a determined victory.
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
A Group winner at two and a stakes-winner last spring, Air Assault is now a four time stakes-winner after adding the Listed SAJC  Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) to his tally at Morphettville on Saturday.
Surprise Bart Cummings Victory Secures Valiant King Melbourne Cup Run
It’s not often you see a runner from the Chris Waller stable go around at 50/1 odds, but 6yo gelding Valiant King (GB) produced an outstanding effort to win Saturday’s $350,000 Group 3 VRC Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington, securing himself a run in this year’s $10m Gr1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Pedigree Watch – Juvenile Stakes-Winners
Three new season juvenile stakes races on Saturday produced a $1million yearling purchase that gave Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside the perfect start to his stud career, a pinhook winner turned stakes-winner and a colt foaled in Australia with a Kiwi pedigree.
McGaw Firms For Coolmore Stud Stakes After G2 Danehill Win
Considered an outside chance in betting markets, Emma-Lee and David Browne’s I Am Immortal gelding McGaw dented the reputation of a few leading Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes contenders with a fighting win in the $300,000 Gr2 VRC Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Media World Adds to Millionaire Yearling Stakes Success
Stakes racing on Saturday produced a number of stakes-winners purchased for seven figures as yearlings in Australia with $1.8million Inglis Easter sale-topper Autumn Glow leading the way in the Group I ATC Epsom after earlier success for $1million 2YO Incognito, while at Flemington $1.4million entire Media World took out the Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).
Justify Colt Wins G3 SA Sires Produce Stakes
Returning to Coolmore this spring, Triple Crown hero Justify (USA) posted a third Australian stakes-winner when blue-blood colt Air Assault delivered on potential to win the Group III SAJC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Historic Day in Kalgoorlie - Old Meets the New
Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!