Three-year-old gelding Giga Kick scored a fast-finishing win in the $14,000,000 The TAB Everest (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday to keep his record at a perfect five for five.
Ridden by Craig Williams for 27yo trainer Clayton Douglas, the flashy son of Scissor Kick came with a barnstorming finish to defeat the 6yo Al Maher gelding Private Eye by a long neck with a half-length back to the Maurice (JPN) gelding Mazu in third.
Odds-on favourite and defending champion Nature Strip weakened in the final 50 metres after a tough run to finish fourth.
With his $6.2million winners cheque, Giga Kick has now banked $7,142,200 for owner/breeder Jonathon Munz.
At his most recent start, Giga Kick had narrowly won the Group II Danehill Stakes at Flemington from Buenos Noches.
Many felt he was slightly disappointing, but Douglas was confident he is better as the hunter rather than the hunted. James Harron agreed and offered connections their slot in the world’s richest race on turf.
“I had a lot of confidence in this horse,” Douglas said.
“He’s a superstar. He probably had his critics but I had a lot of faith in him.
“He’s such a professional and you can see today, with the 53 kilos when ridden like that, he’s electric.”
“It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but he wasn’t in the race to make the numbers up and I had a lot of faith in him.
“Watch out, the new kid is on the block.
“I’ve ridden a lot of good horses in my time, and this horse just does things that people haven’t seen. I noted that on Tuesday and people probably thought I was being a bit cocky, but Craig Williams had a lot of faith in this horse.
“He’s a star and I’m so rapt for the owners, rapt for Jonathon Munz and James Harron, he put his neck on the line to take a three-year-old and do what he’s done. It’s great.”
“There’s a massive team behind me, I work very hard and I’ve got a great bunch of staff. To be honest, it’s a bit of a whirlwind at the moment, but I’m very happy.”
Craig Williams said Douglas is a rising star in the training ranks.
“Clayton Douglas, you talk about how young of a trainer he is but he’s well before his time,” Williams said.
“I’m just lucky to have been part of the ride. My team around me, my family, thank you for everything throughout the years. This is a really big thrill. The inaugural running of it five years ago I finished second on Vega Magic and I thought we had unfinished business.”
Giga Kick was bred by Munz's GSA Bloodstock, which also bred his sire Scissor Kick.
He is the sixth winner for the imported Royal Applause mare Rekindled Applause (GB), who arrived in Australia alongside his mother Rekindled Affair (Rainbow Quest).
Rekindled Affair (IRE) left two stakes-winners before her importation. Her first foal in Australia was hugely talented Rekindled Interest (Redoute's Choice), who won the Group II MVRC Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes and Group II AAMI Vase and was second in the ATC George Ryder Stakes and third in the MVRC WS Cox Plate.
Rekindled Applause (GB) was stakes-placed four times in Italy.
Her six winners include the stakes-placed Rekindled Power and Shuffle Up, and her daughter Lago Ovation (Encosta de Lago) is the dam of Yulong Stud's Group 1 MRC CF Orr Stakes winner Alabama Express.
Rekindled Applause (GB) has a yearling colt by Pariah.
Group III ATC Up And Coming Stakes winner Scissor Kick (Redoute's Choice) stood at Arrowfield Stud for four seasons. He shuttled to Haras d'Etreham in France and did not return to Australia after covering 29 mares in 2019.
