Time has been the friend of Air Assault who can top the $1 million mark in prize money if successful in the Ballarat Cup.
Morphettville trainer Andrew Gluyas said the nine-time winner from 33 starts has finally matured and learned to be a racehorse.
Air Assault will be having his second shot at the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on Saturday having run seventh in the contest last year behind Berkeley Square.
The gelding is yet to be successful past 1800m, but Air Assault has placed in two of his three previous attempts at 2000m while also placed in the Group 1 South Australian Derby at 2500m.
Gluyas said Air Assault had finally learned to settle in his races rather than trying to get it over and done with early.
“He ran well in the Vase (at Moonee Valley) as a three-year-old and he’s been placed at Group 1 level, so he has the capacity to run a good 2000 metres, no doubt,” Gluyas said.
“He’s now matured into himself. In previous preps, he had that tendency to run hard on the pace, and it was more about him, rather than us being able to hold him up.
“He’s shown that tendency now to be a bit more settled in his races.”
Air Assault comes into Saturday’s contest off a lighter campaign than when he fronted up in the Ballarat Cup 12 months ago, despite using the same lead-up race, the Cranbourne Cup.
Last year Air Assault chased home Globe at Cranbourne, while this year the gelding ran sixth after getting caught up in traffic.
Air Assault won the Gawler Cup (1500m) and the Listed John Letts Stakes (1600m) as lead-up races to his last start at Cranbourne.
“He came out of our carnival in the winter and had one more start at Sandown and then we gave him a good break,” Gluyas said.
“That was always the plan, to give him a good break and hope to have him peaking at the backend of spring.
“He came up well, his second and third-up runs here (Adelaide) were great and he did race well, I thought, at Cranbourne, although he had to race in an awkward position and subsequently lost his position, but he still hit the line quite well.”
Gluyas said the plan after Saturday was to regroup, have a light autumn before targeting the better Adelaide races during their April and May Carnival and then again look to the spring next year.
“He’s been a fantastic horse and has taken us on a good ride,” Gluyas said.
