It is getting on four years since Giga Kick and Clayton Douglas were the toast of Australian racing.
The pair won The Everest at Randwick in October 2022, and the following autumn picked up the All-Aged Stakes and Doomben 10,000 and in the process Giga Kick was awarded Australian Champion Sprinter honours.
Giga Kick was looked upon as the rising star in Australian sprinting circles and Douglas had mapped out a program to repeat the dose by claiming 2023 Everest.
But that all changed in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 9, 2023, when Giga Kick was beaten into third place, a performance that mystified connections.
It was later established Giga Kick suffered a deep-seated muscle tear in his hindquarter which required a near year-long rehabilitation program before the gelding made it back to the racecourse.
It is something that to this day still requires careful monitoring and has restricted Giga Kick to only 12 starts in the three years since.
But Giga Kick has not lost any of his sprinting prowess, returning to run second in the 2024 Everest before last spring claiming the Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield and the VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington.
Giga Kick is about to embark on his latest campaign when he contests the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.
The Moir is traditionally run at Moonee Valley but has been transferred this year following a rebuild of the track at The Valley.
Douglas is happy for the race to be at Sandown, a course that Giga Kick is yet to race at, but one that he has had extensive ‘practice’ on.
A jump-out placing last week and a gallop there on Tuesday has Douglas confident Giga Kick is ready to run well first-up.
“He’s forward as he’s been in work a long time,” Douglas said.
“The 1000 metres, he’s definitely ready for. He hasn’t won a good race over the 1000 before, but this track will give him his chance.
“It’s a good race with a lot of speedsters in it which makes the race more intriguing.
“There’s going to be a lot of pressure and Giga Kick is at his best when there is a lot of pressure, so hopefully it falls into our favour.”
Giga Kick won the Schillaci Stakes first-up last October and Douglas believes the gelding is in a similar vein of form this year.
And the prospects of a rain-affected track won’t pose any problems.
“His wind is good, his action is good, he’s moving very well,” Douglas said.
“He’s seven, and he’s a big strong boy.
“He’s an amazing horse and comes back and just does what he has to do every preparation, but being and older horse, we’re always managing him, always watching his action, making sure that’s 100 per cent.
“His body has been great for quite some time, and he goes to the race fit, well and healthy.
“I’ve done my job.”
Mark Zahra, who won the VRC Champions Sprint on Giga Kick, rides the gelding for the first time since on Saturday.
Giga Kick has drawn gate nine in the field of 13 that includes Rothfire, Skybird, Generosity, My Gladiola, Point Barrow, Cavalry Girl and Natural Fling.
