Air Assault Wins Again in Port Adelaide Guineas

Justify’s Air Assault (3g Justify x Elegant Eagle, by Zabeel) added a fourth stakes victory to his record on Saturday with a win in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas at Morphettville.

Racing over 1 1/8 miles, the Andrew Gluyas trainee had the lead turning into the stretch and wasn’t going to let up going to the line. It wasn’t an easy task in the final sixteenth with a few horses attempting to challenge him, but the line came just in time to see him score by a head in the end.

“He really had to earn that today and showed a lot of heart and those Justify genes to really kick to the line and he’s held on well after leading the whole way over 1800,” said Gluyas, indicating he would go next to the Group III SAJC Chairmans’s Stakes over 1 ¼ miles on April 27.

Bred and owned by Harry Perks and partners, Air Assault is now the winner of five races with earnings of AU$392,065, including three consecutive victories.

The 3-year-old comes from a successful family as a half-brother to Group I Champagne Stakes winner Go Indy Go, Group III winner Essay Raider and Group III placed Battle Brewing. His dam Elegant Eagle produced seven winners from eight to race in all during her broodmare career.

Elegant Eagle is a full sister to the dam of Group I winner Southern Speed and hails from the family of Group I Golden Slipper winner Ha Ha. Southern Speed is also the dam of a stakes winner in Japanese Group II winner Cosmo Kuranda.

It’s another strong year for Justify, whose runners include 20 stakes performers, led by five stakes winners. In that group are two Triple Crown hopefuls - Grade I Arkansas Derby runner-up Just Steel and Grade I Blue Grass Stakes second Just a Touch.