A $140,000 buy at the 2013 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Gold Force repaid his connections on debut when he took out a $250,000 Inglis 2yo feature at Mornington in February last year.

Now the challenge for the Flemington stable of Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes is to get the son of Flying Spur to go on with the job.

Gold Force initially followed up that effort with a sixth in group 2 company in Sydney.

Team Hawkes then sent him for a spell.

He had just the one start early this season before reappearing for a third consecutive sixth at Geelong in January.

Gold Force then stepped up for a second in a $30,000 benchmark70 over 1400m in Ballarat on February 12.

The run was enough to persuade the Hawkes to return to Sportsbet-Ballarat with him on Thursday for a $30,000 Porter Plant Cup Series benchmark70 heat over 1400m.

Dwayne Dunn again takes the ride on Gold Force, which the faces the in-form Zupacharged from the Ballarat district stable of Kylie Vella.

Zupacharged has won two of his latest three starts, which have all been at Warrnambool.

The five-year-old is moving up from 1200m and while that provides a challenge it looks well within his capabilities.

Cool Attraction shapes as another to watch at the bottom of the weights.

Trained by Glenn Thornton at Geelong, Cool Attraction has been a model of consistency with back-to-back wins and three minor placings in her latest five visits to the races.

She will also have the services of regular rider Damien Thornton, who goes to Ballarat on a high after a double from a book of nine rides at the Launceston Cup meeting on Wednesday.

Ballarat Turf Club’s eight-race program opens with the Evergreen Turf 2yo Maiden, 1100m – dominated by first starters.

Only the four emergencies have race experience, and with early scratchings last night at least two of these will get a run.

First emergency Bosnia, from the John O’Shea-trained Godolphin team, will be tough to beat on exposed form.

Gai Waterhouse is also a chance to continue her excellent run on the track with the lightly-raced Show A Star in the City of Ballarat 3yo Maiden, 1400m.

Waterhouse has claimed two of the BTC’s biggest races in the past two years.

She saluted with The Offer in the 2013 Ballarat Cup and then had Carriages score in last year’s Magic Millions 2yo Clockwise Classic.

Show A Star has raced just the once for a second at Mornington on February 6, and will be ridden by Michelle Payne.

david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au