Rejuvenated gelding Gold Ambition has bounced back to something like his old Group One form with a last-to-first win at Doomben.
On a day when horses in the lead were suited, Gold Ambition ($5) charged down the outside for jockey Scott Galloway to score an easy win Wednesday’s Class Five Handicap (1660m).
As a three-year-old Gold Ambition ran third to Le Romain and Press Statement in the 2016 Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m).
But he lost form and had not won a race since taking a Bathurst Class One race in January 2017.
Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker recommended Gold Ambition be sent north to Gold Coast trainer Michael Costa who has now had him for four runs.
“I spoke to Bjorn at length about him and he said the horse had lost confidence to be racing against Sydney class. He said he would be better placed here,’ Costa said.
“Gold Ambition got out to a distance to suit him and we can now think about heading to Saturday metropolitan racing.”
Galloway said he believed the now five-year-old would develop into a good Saturday middle distance horse.
Meanwhile, jockey Luke Dittman’s hard work in the lead-up to Inflammable’s first start paid off twice.
A $170,000 buy as a yearling, Inflammable has taken time to mature and trialled four times before his debut in a maiden handicap (1100m).
Dittman rode him in his two most recent barrier trials and also rides him regular trackwork.
Inflammable was flighty before the start and Dittman firstly had to coax him into the barriers after a delay.
Dittman then showed his knowledge of Inflammable when he urged him along the fence to keep his two main rivals wide.
Inflammable ($2.90) is trained by Gillian Heinrich and Ben Rodgers who was full of praise for Dittman.
“It showed the value of knowing your horse as Luke has done a lot of work with him,” Rodgers said.
