The Clayton Douglas-trained Giga Kick will have six rivals to face upon his racetrack return in Saturday’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley.
Despite the small field, there is no shortage of speed and class, with each of the seven runners having tasted stakes success.
Giga Kick has not been seen at the races since his victory in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) on May 13 and is set to make his Moonee Valley debut in Saturday’s scamper.
The reigning Everest champion has managed to win both of his jump-outs at Cranbourne and Mornington in the lead-up to his return and is expected to be hard to beat.
Giga Kick’s biggest rival is arguably the Kiwi mare Imperatriz, who claimed the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at her last start and will be looking to keep her unbeaten Moonee Valley record intact as she returns from a 24-week spell.
Having won three Group 1 races last campaign, Imperatriz will be hoping to knock off Giga Kick in what looks set to be one of the best sprinting clashes outside of top-tier races in some time.
Having run the quinella in last year’s edition of the McEwen Stakes, Queenslanders Rothfire and Zoustyle return to Moonee Valley on the hunt for more success.
Meanwhile, last-start Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) winner Acromantula will be looking to claim back-to-back victories at the Moonee Valley 1000m.
Seradess and How’s The Serenity make up the remainder of the field for the 2023 McEwen Stakes.
McEwen Stakes 2023 field
| No. | Silks | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
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