Many trainers rely on pre-trainers to prepare their horses in the early stages of their campaigns, giving them a head start before they return to the main stable. This process typically involves several weeks of light work to ensure the horses are ready to progress to galloping and trialling before racing again.
However, Clayton Douglas has a different approach, especially with his star sprinter, Giga Kick. Rather than outsourcing the early stages of preparation, Douglas has taken full control of Giga Kick’s pre-training at his Mornington stable.
“I do everything with him,” Douglas shared. “I’ve got a treadmill, a pool, and there’s a water-walker just up the road. I mix things up to keep him active and engaged.”
Giga Kick is currently in the pre-training phase, and while he’s not yet galloping on the track, Douglas is steadily building his fitness. A return to trials remains a few weeks away. Although Giga Kick is unlikely to race in Melbourne this Autumn, Douglas hinted at a potential return in the T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick in April, with a possible extension into the Queensland Winter Carnival.
“He’s had a good spell, which you’d expect as he’s older now,” Douglas said. “There’s no set plan yet, but he’ll probably head to Sydney. Over the next five or six weeks, we’ll focus on getting him ready for jump-outs and take it from there.”
Douglas noted that Giga Kick has returned in excellent condition after racing late into the Spring. Despite not securing a win in his most recent campaign, the gelding earned nearly $3.2 million in prize money.
“You never know how they’ll perform after an injury, or how many runs you’ll get out of them in a prep,” Douglas explained. “He ran well in all his starts—he was a bit big first-up, then had a tough run on a hot speed. His second-up effort was solid, and he wasn’t beaten by much. He ran second in The Everest and finished well in his final run up the straight at Flemington despite getting bottled up.”
Douglas emphasized the importance of managing Giga Kick carefully to extend his racing career beyond his current record of 15 starts, which has yielded seven wins and $12.8 million in earnings.
“With a horse like him, you don’t need to push too hard. He only has to win or perform well in one race, and he’s paid for the year,” Douglas said.
The number of trials Giga Kick will have—either two or three—will determine when he kicks off his campaign. “If he’s fit and ready, he’ll go to the races. If he needs more time, we’ll give it to him. It’s all about keeping him happy and in the best condition possible,” Douglas concluded.