Clayton Douglas has recorded his first stakes win as a trainer after Giga Kick stormed home to take out the Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
The gelded son of Scissor Kick didn’t lead for the first time in his career, but that didn’t stop him from reigning supreme.
Sent out as the second favourite behind the in-form Alpha One, Giga Kick and Craig Williams had a job to do in the final stages of the $200,000 race, as the race favourite shot clear on the bend under Damien Lane.
It was Giga Kick who got the last laugh though, nailing Alpha One right on the line, while Millane worked home stylishly into third.
While the winning trainer is yet to decide whether he will target the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) or Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) with his unbeaten three-year-old, he admits that it is “a good problem to have”.
2022 Vain Stakes Replay
“We’ll just get him home and have a look at him,” Douglas said.
“Just going to look after this horse. He’s still an immature type – you can see that in the yard – he hasn’t come in the coat completely, so we’ve still got nice improvement going forward.
“I think I need a beer after that. It’s a good problem to have going forward, that’s for sure.”
Given that Giga Kick has shown natural gate speed in his first two starts, Douglas said he was a bit worried when he was three pairs back because he didn’t think that the leader was going overly quick.
Champion rider Craig Williams didn’t panic though, riding the horse perfectly to arrive just in time.
“To see him let rip like that, I think we’ve got a serious horse on our hands,” the trainer said.
“I didn’t think they went that quickly. Little bit worried when he was three pairs back, one-off, but he’s such a good jockey.
“He just kept him balanced and when he asked him for an ultimate effort, he still had plenty left in the straight.
“I think the second horse is a very good horse as well, so I think it’ll be a good form race for us.”
Giga Kick is now an $11 chance with online bookmakers for the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
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