Giga Kick passes trial test
Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) continued his build-up to a return to the track at Randwick on Friday, where the star sprinter won a talent-laden 900-metre trial.
The dual Group 1 winner and 2022 The Everest (1200m) champion sat fourth, improved from the midway point and was given slight encouragement from James McDonald to get alongside Linebacker (Super Seth) before being given an easy time of things late.
The five-year-old cruised home 0.8 lengths clear of the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) runner-up on the Good 4 track with Punch Lane (So You Think) a little over a length away in third, and another 0.7 lengths back to Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Celestial Legend (Dundeel).
Friday’s workout was Giga Kick’s second trial in Sydney, having finished second to Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) over 850 metres on a Heavy track on August 19, which followed a Mornington jump-out prior to heading north.
Trainer Clayton Douglas said it was just the type of performance he wanted to see before his return in the $1 million Concorde Stakes (Gr 3, 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 [Saturday] 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 (Redoute’s Choice).
Giga Kick’s trial was just one of a number of trials containing potential key spring players with New Zealand Group 1 winner Belclare (Per Incanto), a new recruit for Bjorn Baker, narrowly defeating Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt) in a 900-metre trial, which also contained Sunshine In Paris (Invader) (third) and Schwarz (Zoustar) (fifth).
Newgate and the China Horse Club had a couple of sons of Deep Field (Northern Meteor) in the shape of the Peter Snowden-trained High Octane and Bases Loaded, who is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, win their 1045-metre heats by 5.9 lengths and 6.3 lengths respectively.
Meanwhile, Bases Loaded’s stablemate Espionage (Zoustar) finished second to Way To The Stars (Reward For Effort) in his 740-mete trial, the first of his campaign.
The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Deny Knowledge (Pride Of Dubai), who was last seen landing the Grafton Cup (Listed, 2350m) in Yulong’s colours, landed her 1200-metre heat on Friday, beating the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Jamberoo (Thunder Fire) by 0.8 lengths.