Michael Kent Jnr is optimistic that Think Giant will ultimately compete in races of greater significance than the one scheduled for him this Saturday at Caulfield, viewing it as a suitable starting point for his Australian campaign.
The imported four-year-old gelding is set to make his debut on Australian soil in the $130,000 benchmark 78 event over 1700 metres.
This outing will mark the Lope De Vega gelding’s first start since achieving a fourth placing in a Group 1 race at Cologne in September last year, and Kent is looking forward to seeing where his Southern Hemisphere career leads.
“He’s lovely, scopey horse who is far from the finished product,” Kent said.
“He’s 16.2 (hands) and all leg and I think he’ll keep filling out over the next 12 months or so.”
“Like all of the imports, we’re not forcing him, we just want to let him come to hand naturally and expect that he’ll get better for the prep and be better next preparation.”
Think Giant was purchased in partnership with OTI for €280,000 (approximately AU$457,000) at The Arc Sale at Arqana in France, following his fourth-place finish behind Sibayan in the Preis Von Europa (2400m).
This performance followed a third placing over 2400m at Listed level in France, which was his second Black Type placing after finishing runner-up over 1600m at Group 3 level in Germany as a two-year-old.
Kent noted that Think Giant required some time to acclimate, but a spell with Steven Pateman at Thirteenth Beach aided his settling process, and he and co-trainer Mick Price have observed a considerable turnaround in recent weeks.
“It’s been the last five weeks really where he’s just got it,” Kent stated.
“Now he walks out of the barn and he walks home, whereas he used to jig-jog everywhere.”
“He’s a real stayer, but he’s going the right way finally.”
Think Giant’s preparations have included a couple of Cranbourne jumpout wins, one over 1200m and another over 1400m, which Kent considered encouraging.
“We haven’t tuned him up for a first up win or anything like that, we’ve just brought him along gently and let everything happen naturally for him,” he commented.
“I don’t think the trials he won at Cranbourne were particularly strong, but he stayed on well on wet ground.”
“He’ll get back and then run on, but I think he’ll be looking for 2000 metres pretty quickly and we have got a bit of weight there on Saturday as well.”
Think Giant will carry 61kg at Caulfield, with Tom Stockdale booked to ride. Explore the available racing betting markets for this exciting debut.
