Giga Kick continued his build-up to a return to the track at Randwick on Friday, where the star sprinter won a talent-laden 900m trial.
The dual Group 1 winner and 2022 The Everest champion sat fourth, improved from the midway point and was given slight encouragement from James Mcdonald to get alongside Linebacker before given an easy time of things late.
The five-year-old cruised home three-quarters-of-a-length clear of the Champagne Stakes runner-up on the Good 4 track with Punch Lane 1-1/4 lengths back third, a half-length clear of Doncaster Mile winner Celestial Legend.
Friday’s workout was Giga Kick’s second trial in Sydney, having finished second to Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot over 850m on a Heavy track August 19, which followed a Mornington jumpout prior to heading north.
Giga Kick leads home a star-studded trial at Randwick, followed by Linebacker, Punch Lane, Celestial Legend, Private Eye and Kovalica ⏱️
Time: 53.74sec
L600: 33.52sec pic.twitter.com/XpU7JoUTfN— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 29, 2024
Trainer Clayton Douglas said it was just the type of performance he wanted to see before his return in the $1 million Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick next Saturday.
“He’s come on a lot from his last trial on that Heavy ground, it was good to see him on some drier ground up here today, and his recovery was really good,” Douglas said.
“He’s obviously ready to go now and tomorrow week we will find out where we are at.
“He’s in really good order and I’m really happy with him.”
McDonald will partner Giga Kick in the Concorde Stakes, which will be his first race ride on the son of Scissor Kick.
Giga Kick’s trial was just one of a number of trials containing potential spring key players with Group 1-winning former Kiwi mare Belclare narrowly defeating Cafe Millenium in the second trial, which also contained Sunshine In Paris (third) and Schwarz (fifth).
Newgate and the China Horse Club had a couple of sons of Deep Field win by six lengths, High Octane and Bases Loaded, while Bases Loaded’s Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stablemate Espionage finished second to Way To The Stars in his first trial of the campaign.
