Three-year-olds lay down spring markers as carnival ramps up
Giga Kick puts in classy performance to win Vain Stakes for Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing
The impressive Giga Kick (3 g Scissor Kick – Rekindled Applause by Royal Applause) laid down a marker as a prominent spring contender when running out a ready winner of the Vain Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield yesterday for trainer Clayton Douglas, stretching his unbeaten career to three wins, on a day when recently-turned three-year-olds
In addition to Giga Kick, the John O’Shea-trained colt Zoukerino (Snitzel) kept his unbeaten run intact with victory in The Rosebud (Listed, 1100m) at Rosehill, while Bound For Home (Rubick), one of six winners for Rubick (Encosta De Lago) yesterday, lived up to her name in to claim the Quezette Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) in Melbourne.
Three-year-old gelding Giga Kick announced himself as a leading chance for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) with bookmakers pricing him as the $8 second favourite behind the Victorian Alliance-owned debut winner Doull (Snitzel) following yesterday’s maiden stakes success.
Having displayed some of his abundant talent when winning by over four lengths on debut at Sale, Giga Kick then upgraded to Saturday company when coming home best of all in the Trevor Clarke Handicap (1000m) at Flemington last month, proving his versatility in being able to handle both a good and a soft-rated track.
With Craig Williams taking over the reigns yesterday, the gelding’s third different jockey, Giga Kick travelled well throughout the 1100-metre contest and, after quickening to join leader Alpha One (Super One), battled well in the closing stages to always hold that rival at the line, winning by a head. There was a further two and a quarter lengths back to Millane (Zoustar) in third.
“There were a lot of nerves today, and I’d like to thank [owner] Jonathon [Munz] and the team,” Douglas, who was enjoying his first career stakes winner as a trainer, said. “Seeing him rip like that, I think we have a serious horse on our hands.
“I didn’t think they went all that quickly. I was a little worried about being three pairs back, one off. He is such a good jockey, Craig just kept him balanced, and when he asked for the ultimate effort, he still had plenty left in the straight.
“I think the second horse is very good, so it might be a good form race. We will get him home and have a look at him. He is still an immature type. He hasn’t come in the coat completely, so there is nice improvement.
“He was a bit keen in the run still so obviously we’ll go to the 1200 metres [McNeil Quality] and sum it up.
“But, at this stage, there is no reason to press him too hard. Jonathan loves this horse so we’ll just stick on the course and see where he takes us. He might be one of the favourites for the Coolmore [Stud Stakes] after that.”
Giga Kick was bred by Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, which also bred his sire Scissor Kick. He is the sixth winner out of the UK-imported Royal Applause (Waajib) mare Rekindled Applause, who arrived in Australia alongside her mother Rekindled Affair (Rainbow Quest), producer of the Group 2 winner Rekindled Interest (Redoute’s Choice).
Stakes-placed-winning mare Rekindled Applause has bred six winners from nine to race, including the stakes-placed winners Rekindled Power (Redoute’s Choice) and Shuffle Up (Redoute’s Choice), while her daughter Lago Ovation (Encosta De Lago) is the dam of Yulong Stud’s Group 1 winner Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice). She currently has a weanling colt by Arrowfield Stud stallion Pariah (Redoute’s Choice).
Giga Kick is the second stakes winner for Scissor Kick, who stood at Arrowfield Stud for four seasons. He stood at Haras d’Etreham in France for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Giga Kick is also a general $12 chance for the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) on October 8.
Zoukerino takes rise in class in his stride
The John O’Shea-trained Zoukerino (3 c Snitzel – Walk With Attitude by Hussonet) was another to maintain an unbeaten record as he showcased his class in The Rosebud at Rosehill yesterday.
The son of Arrowfield Stud stallion Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) made an impressive debut at Randwick-Kensington last month, scoring a three-and-a-quarter-length win over One Destiny (Super One), a performance which earned him the ANZ Bloodstock News Maiden Of The Week award.
Beginning well to co-lead early in the contest under Brenton Avdulla, the colt was then dropped in behind the leaders throughout the race. Slicing through at the 200-metre pole, Zoukerino kept finding for pressure and forged into the lead late on for a gutsy success, beating Godolphin colt Spacewalk (Exosphere) by a short-head with a further one and a quarter lengths back to Troach (Epaulette) in third.
“That’s a very, very good performance to do that at your second start,” O’Shea said. “He’s taking on good company and had to overcome adversity and was so strong to the line.
“Brenton has so much confidence in him and he just rode him beautifully, so patiently. We’re really excited for the ownership group, John Muir who bred him is really enjoying it.”
Bred by John Muir’s Milburn Creek Stud, Zoukerino was knocked down to Suman Hedge for a sale-topping $500,000 at last year’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale. His ownership group is led by Sheriff Iskander and includes Milburn Creek.
With an entry in Rosehill’s Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), for which he is now a $15 chance, O’Shea is hoping that Zoukerino can match up to the elite-level after resisting the temptation of an autumn campaign.
“I resisted the temptation to run him in the autumn. I said to the ownership group ‘I just reckon he’s still a prep away and if we could give him a light winter prep’,” O’Shea said.
“But he still had a little win at two which is important for his profile and he’s come on so nicely from his win.
“I thought we’ll take the opportunity and see if we can’t get a little bit of black type early in his career.
“Today was a pretty important race for him to see if he’d made the transition and I think we’ll just get him home and see how he pulls up and give him the opportunity to have another run later in the season.”
Zoukerino is a brother to the Group 3-placed winner Spend and is the fourth winner out of Muir’s Listed-winning Hussonet (Mr. Prospector) mare Walk With Attitude, who has a weanling colt by The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) and is due to foal to Widden Stud’s Zoustar (Northern Meteor) in October.
Zoukerino’s third dam is the stakes-placed Fayfa (Slip Anchor), herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Rafha (Kris), dam to four stakes winners including Yarraman Park stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
Four-time champion sire Snitzel stands for a fee of $220,000 (inc GST) and has now sired 124 individual stakes winners.
Bound For Home lives up to name in Quezette Stakes
Bound For Home (3 f Rubick – Homebird by Rothesay) produced a career-best performance in yesterday’s Quezette Stakes as she benefited from a canny Declan Bates ride to win the Group 3 contest, taking her record to two wins from three starts.
Having won a Ballarat maiden on debut, the Archie Alexander-trained three-year-old filly finished second in a handicap at Flemington in June before showing plenty of improvement in yesterday’s rise in class to grab a maiden stakes victory, the fifth for Swettenham Stud stallion Rubick (Encosta De Lago).
Sent off an unfancied $31 chance, Bound For Home was slowly away from the barriers but was settled in midfield by Bates before finding the gaps to grab the lead inside the final 100 metres, battling well to beat Ojai (Exceed And Excel) by a long-neck with a further one and three-quarter lengths back to I’mlovin’ya (Capitalist) in third.
“Being a bit arrogant, we thought we would get in early and hope it might be a weak Group 3,” Alexander said.
“She is fit and well, so let’s get in before the better ones come out. Maybe she is one of the better ones.
“At halfway, she was out the back and in trouble. Declan was in an awkward spot, but sometimes you get lucky, and everything opened up. It was a beautiful ride by Dec, who knows the filly well.”
A $50,000 purchase for his trainer in partnership with Rogers Bloodstock at last year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Bound For Home was the least expensive yearling purchase in yesterday’s 13-runner field.
She is the first foal out of the three-time winning Rothesay (Fastnet Rock) mare Homebird, herself a half-sister to the dam of three-time Listed stakes winner Religify (Choisir) from the family of champion sprinter Silent Witness (El Moxie).
Miscellany Bloodstock purchased Homebird for $60,000 from the Edinburgh Park Stud draft at the 2019 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale when she was carrying Bound For Home.
Baystone Farm went to $160,000 for a Toronado (High Chaparral) half-brother to Bound For Home when offered by Erinvale Thoroughbreds at the Magic Million National Weanling Sale.
Homebird was covered by Darley stallion Impending (Lonhro) last spring, while Rubick stands for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).