Group 1 Topgun winner Get It Gizmo has been grounded for eight months.
But hopefully he’s flying high in his racing comeback tonight at Warrnambool. He’ll contest a Mixed 4/5 (450m) – Race 8, Box 6 at 7.19pm.
Trained by Harry Manolitsis, Get It Gizmo took everyone’s breath away in last year’s Topgun. He defeated a field comprising sprinters the ilk of Sennachie, Whiskey Riot, Black Opium, Shima Shine, Feral Franky, Good Odds Harada and Barooga Brett.
Last year, he was also a finalist in the G1 Melbourne Cup, G1 Maturity Classic, G3 Cranbourne Classic (2nd) and G3 Warragul St Leger (3rd). Plus, the Million Dollar Chase (3rd).
Get It Gizmo has won 10 races (with five seconds and five thirds) from 24 starts, with $256,360 in prizemoney.
But his stellar career came to a grinding halt after sustaining a right hock injury in the G2 Ballarat Cup on December 14.
Pawnote: Get It Gizmo’s dam, Dasha (Mar ’14 Go Wild Teddy x Outlandish), whelped a litter of 12 pups (7 dogs, 5 bitches) by champion US sire Superior Panama only two days ago.
Subsequently, the ever-patient Manolitsis has given his superstar plenty of time to recuperate.
“He had four months off prior to free galloping for two months. I didn’t want to place too much pressure on him,” Manolitsis said.
Get It Gizmo (Jun ’17 Kinloch Brae x Dasha) took great strides toward his racing return when he completed a satisfactory trial, clocking 22.53sec, at Warragul (400m) on August 3.
“It’s been a long time, but it was a nice blowout… And now tonight is the real starting point,” Manolitsis said. “I’m hoping he shows he’s back to his old form… But I know he’ll eventually be at his best over 500-metres plus.”
Manolitsis added how Get It Gizmo pulled up would determine plans moving forward.
It’s so great to see the Topgun champ once again ‘feel the need… the need for speed’! And greyhound racing aficionados are hoping he hasn’t ‘lost that winning feeling’.
And Manolitsis informs most of the litter will be for sale.
