By Glenn Davis
Emerging trainer Adam Campton is hoping former Hong Kong galloper Charge On can give him a belated Christmas present at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Campton has been training for 14 months and will be looking for his second metropolitan win when Charge On steps out in the Benchmark 68 Handicap over 1400 metres.
Campton trained his first winner with his first starter when Lord Markel won at Warwick in January.
It was also Lord Markel which also gave him his first metropolitan success at Ipswich in April.
Campton is enjoying the training caper and has built his stable numbers up to 35 horses in work at the Gold Coast.
His partner Tayla Whalley assists Campton around the stables and is a part-owner of Charge On.
“Tayla is a part owner and it’ll be her shout for dinner if he wins,” Campton said.
Charge On has started only twice since arriving in Australia, finishing seventh in a Class 3 at the Gold Coast in November before a last start second placing to the Kelly Schweida-trained Lucky Exchange against similar opposition at the Gold Coast on December 10.
Campton believes Charge On has taken further improvement from his two Gold Coast performances and will be competitive at his first city attempt.
“He’s a nice horse and he’s relishing it back here after coming over from Hong Kong,” he said.
“He should nearly have won last start and was a bit fat first-up.
“I’m still working him out whether he’s a 1400 or 1600-metre horse.
“If there’s any rain about, he’ll be hard to beat.”