After missing the ride on the first winner The Mission due to a flight delay from Melbourne, Ben Melham quickly hit back when guiding Assign to victory in Saturday's Group III Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens.
The 5yo son of Montjeu raced on the speed set by Classic Uniform to defeat the favourite
Winner of the Group II Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield last October, Assign advances his overall record to 6 wins, 2 seconds and 2 thirds from 17 starts with earnings of $
The Robert Hickmott-trained gelding is expected to keep on a path to the Sydney Cup.
"I would have preferred to be outside the lead but the tempo was solid enough so I just decided to let him come back where he'd be happier," Melham said.
"It was a bit quick for him early so I came back and found a nice tempo and from the top of the straight, I knew he'd keep coming.
"It probably wasn't his preferred surface, he wasn't 100 percent comfortable in it but he did a fantastic job to battle on and win."
Previously owned by the Coolmore team in Ireland when known as Adjusted, Assign entered the Robert Hickmott stable off the back of two wins at The Curragh.
Assign's dam Belesta (Xaar) was a winner in France and is a half-sister to three stakes-winner including the Group III winner In Clover (Inchinor) the dam of Group I Prix de l'Opera winner We Are.
