Charge On set for return at Eagle Farm

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Adam Campton is hopeful Charge On can run a “cheeky” race when the former Hong Kong sprinter makes his comeback at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Charge On – a Taylor Marshall mount - steps out for the first time since September last year.

The seven-year-old was due to barrier trial at the Gold Coast on Tuesday but Campton preferred to have him fresh as possible ahead of his return in the Open Handicap over 1000 metres.

“I was going to trial him but I wanted him as fresh as possible for his first-up run,” Campton said.

“He’s going good but he’ll definitely improve after this race.

“If he can repeat his last run when he ran second to Hakkai Maru I think he’ll run a cheeky race.”

Charge On was beaten less than one length by the Louise White-trained Hakkai Maru in a 1000 metre Class 4 Handicap at the Sunshine Coast on September 24 last year.

Campton is only in his second full year of training and has eyes on winning the Gold Coast trainers’ premiership.

He worked in Hong Kong for several years before arriving on the Gold Coast where he started with a handful of horses in his stable.

Fast forward to now and the emerging trainer has rapidly built his stable numbers to 48 including his star sprinter Deepour who is still in pre-training ahead of his Stradbroke Handicap mission during the Queensland Racing Carnival.

“Deepour has three more weeks of pre-training before he comes back into full work and he’s had a good break,” Campton said.

“The Stradbroke is our dream and we’ll try to win a couple of early winter races with him.”

Campton has high hopes for Charge On. 

"He has always raced consistently,” Campton said.

“I’ll see how he goes this campaign but there’s nothing mapped out for him yet.

“We could possibly wait to the end of the winter and set him for the Ramornie at Grafton.

“There’s some nice races for him here as well but he’s a seven-year-old now and he’ll need to get his rating up.”

Campton trained his first Saturday city winner when Deepour won at Doomben just over 12 months ago.