Air Assault claims
third Letts success
Air Assault and Jason Holder raced into the record books on Tuesday at Morphettville, winning a third straight Sportsbet John Letts Cup (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day.
The six-year-old gelding and the reigning John Letts Medal winner have combined again for Group 1-winning trainer Andrew Gluyas, now with for 10 wins from 30 starts.
Tuesday’s win puts Air Assault’s earning past the magical $1 million mark, which is a fantastic accomplishment for any South Australian-trained galloper.
Air Assault got out in front to take the lead and controlled the race under Holder, which was the plan, but the gelding had to battle heading into the Morphettville straight, holding off Florey and Talisay for a hat-trick of John Letts wins.
“Geez I’ve been lucky,” Holder, the only jockey to win on Air Assault across his 43 starts, said.
“I think I put it more down to getting on him at the right time, and I know lot about him.
“He responded when I asked him to, he needed to, I could feel his wheels spinning a bit on the corner.
“I said ‘I need you to find another length, and he did do so’.”
Jason Holder celebrates aboard Air Assault after winning the John Letts Cup win. Picture: Makoto Kaneko
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After winning an eighth stakes race, Air Assault had to rebound from a ninth-place finish in the Murray Bridge Cup Coongy Handicap in Caulfield last month.
“He brought his form back, we’ve both been out of form, me and Air Assault, we’ve both got out of the rabbit hole,” Holder said.
“You have a couple of quiet weeks, and you go ‘gee’ – you’re not used to it.
“I’ve got a great partner, and I’ve got great support. Without the support, you can’t get out of it.
“I’m grateful for the owners sticking by me with Air Assault. It’s a good training performance by Andrew.
“It’s (also) nice to get another winner for Lettsy – he’s a jet – to win the John Letts Medal and (the race) in his honour is great.”
The victory was a fourth John Letts Cup win for Gluyas, who won with Terravue back in 2007 when the race was named the Tokyo City Cup (1600m).
