Trainer Clayton Douglas and his star sprinter Giga Kick will tread a new path this spring, kicking off their campaign much closer to home at the Caulfield Cup Carnival on Saturday.
In two of the past three years, Douglas and Giga Kick have been based in Sydney chasing The Everest — a race the gelding famously won in 2022 before finishing runner-up the following year. Injury sidelined him in 2023, but the now six-year-old returns to action in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) as he looks to rebuild his spring momentum.
After two runs during the Brisbane winter and a brief freshen-up, Douglas said Giga Kick is primed to launch into what could become a four-race campaign.
“Normally he would kick off earlier in the spring, but we’re a bit later this time,” Douglas said. “He’s had the one trial leading into Saturday, but he’s forward enough to be running really well. His racing pattern is to get off the speed, and there looks like there’ll be good tempo in the race — hopefully they overdo it up front and he can hit the line hard.”
Freed from the constraints of an Everest preparation, Douglas now has the flexibility to map out a longer program for his Group 1 winner. Potential upcoming targets include the McEwen Stakes on Cox Plate Day, the Champions Sprint on the final day of Melbourne Cup week, and the C.F. Orr Stakes early next year.
“Being a 115-rater, he’s well placed under the weight-for-age scale on Saturday, and every time he goes to the races, he’s going to be competitive,” Douglas said. “There are some nice options ahead — the Champions Sprint, the Orr, maybe even the McEwen. Not being tied down to The Everest means we can be more creative with his program.”
Douglas said Giga Kick’s preparation this time around has been smooth and measured, with the gelding stronger and more mature than ever.
“We’ve tried to win the Champions Sprint a couple of times and haven’t been able to do it, so hopefully this time we can be the fresh horse on the scene,” he said. “This time last year, he was coming off a long break due to injury, but now he’s had 12 months of consistent racing under his belt. He’s fit, he’s forward, and he’s ready to run well.”
When Giga Kick won The Everest in 2022, he was still technically a two-year-old — just four days shy of turning three. Now, three years later, Douglas said the transformation has been remarkable.
“He didn’t have long off after winter, and he’s a horse that carries a few niggles,” Douglas said. “He takes a little longer to warm up in the mornings, but he’s free in his action and I’m really happy with how he’s been. He’s just under the 550-kilo mark now — when he won The Everest, he was 480 kilos. It’s amazing the maturity he’s taken from then to now.”
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