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| Staff Writer |
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Giga Kick, the 2022 Everest champion, is edging closer to a long-awaited return to the track, with trainer Clayton Douglas expressing satisfaction after the five-year-old's recent jumpout at Mornington.
The Mornington-based handler was pleased with Giga Kick's performance in Wednesday's serious hitout, where the gelding finished second with Douglas in the saddle.
"He settled off the speed and went to the line under a hold. I was really happy with what I felt," Douglas said in another interview.
The son of Scissor Kick is set to head north for a trial at Randwick on Friday week, with Douglas yet to confirm a jockey for the outing.
"We'll get him up to Sydney over the weekend," the trainer said. "We'll have more of an answer probably Monday or Tuesday as to who's going to trial him. We have had plenty of interest in him, that's for sure."
Giga Kick has not been seen since running third in the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes at The Valley on September 9 last year, meaning his planned reappearance in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes on September 7 will mark almost a full year away from the races.
The gelding's career highlight came in the 2022 Everest at Randwick, where he stormed home to claim Australia's richest race. That victory came on the back of a successful Sydney spring campaign, which included wins in the Gr.2 The Shorts and the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes.
Following his Everest triumph, Giga Kick ventured to the Middle East for the 2023 Dubai World Cup Carnival. While he didn't add to his win tally, the sprinter acquitted himself well with a fourth-place finish in the Gr.1 Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan.
Douglas, who has quickly made a name for himself in the training ranks, will be hoping Giga Kick can recapture his best form as he plots a path back to The Everest, a race that has already defined both their careers.
As the spring carnival approaches, all eyes will be on this explosive sprinter's comeback, with the racing world eager to see if Giga Kick can once again scale the heights of his Everest-winning form.