Giga Kick will travel to Sydney on Saturday night for the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes a week later, following a jumpout win at Mornington on Wednesday.
The Everest winner clocked 55.99 seconds for the 900-metre heat on the course proper and looked in terrific shape since returning from his eye-catching third placing in the Challenge Stakes.
“I felt there was nice improvement there as well, so going to the 1200 metres second-up is definitely up our alley,” Douglas said.
“Hopefully he can begin away cleanly, I don’t think there was anything in that first-up, just it was a bit of bad luck form those two horses bumping into him.
“It was a super run, obviously the sectionals were there to be seen with the fastest last 600, 400 and 200 metres of the day and he was really solid through the line.”
Zac Purton will replace the injured Craig Williams on the star sprinter, with Douglas to contemplate races such as the All-Aged Stakes or Doomben 10,000 following his T.J. Smith run.
Douglas said whatever decision he makes will be based on the horse’s best interests before he defends his title in The Everest later this year.
As for overseas travel, Douglas believes next year will prove more suitable.
“There has definitely been the talk of him being travelled,” Douglas admitted.
“Whether that’s at four, we probably think that’s going to be the better time for him.
“He is quite a lightly raced horse and has done a lot in a short period of time, to think he won a maiden last February, it’s just ticked over 12 months.
“We want this horse to be around for a long time, he’s a gelding and we want him to be like a Nature Strip, especially for Australian racing in general.
“We want this horse around for a long time, he’s not a stallion, so if we look after him, hopefully he looks after us.”
Giga Kick is the $4 favourite for the T.J. Smith Stakes on April 1.
– racing.com
