Young trainer Clayton Douglas has celebrated a life-changing moment, upstaging racing’s biggest names to win the richest race in the country with Giga Kick.
Victorian three-year-old Giga Kick has claimed the scalps of Australia’s best sprinters to win the $15 million The Everest, prompting trainer Clayton Douglas to laud him as the “next Nature Strip”.
Powering home from back in the field under Craig Williams, Giga Kick ($21) downed Private Eye ($12) by a long neck with Mazu ($18) another half-length away in a major changing of the guard to the local sprinting ranks.
For 27-year-old former jumps jockey Douglas, winning The Everest was a surreal experience but he had absolute faith in his young horse, who remains unbeaten from five starts.
“He’s a star and watch out, the new kid is on the block,” Douglas said.
“After I spoke to Craig Williams, we thought he might be the next Nature Strip and he has probably shown that today, he is up to this league.”
Williams has won racing’s grand slam of the Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Golden Slipper but his victory on Giga Kick makes him the first grand slam-winning rider to also capture Australia’s richest race.
He showed great faith in Giga Kick, forgoing riding at the Caulfield Cup meeting in Melbourne to stick with the Scissor Kick gelding as he chased his first Everest win, and redemption for his second in the first edition of the race in 2017.
“This is a really big thrill,” Williams said.
“The inaugural running of it five years ago I finished second on Vega Magic and I thought we had unfinished business.
“Clayton Douglas, you talk about how young of a trainer he is but he’s well before his time.
“I’m just lucky to have been part of the ride.”
The ride appears set to continue for connections of Giga Kick this spring with Douglas keen to target the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup carnival, provided the horse pulls up well.
Trainer Joe Pride had mixed emotions after the race with stable stalwart Eduardo pulling up mildly lame after he was a spent force at the top of the straight, while also wrapping his head around Private Eye’s close second.
“Geez, I thought we had it there for a second, it was a terrific run,” Pride said.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in this horse, he’s a very good horse and the best is yet to come.
“There is a bit of heartbreak there but it’s a great result.”
With the race morning scratching of second pick Lost And Running, Nature Strip started an easing $1.90 favourite but was caught deep from his wide draw.
He strode up to hit the front halfway up the straight but was unable to stave off the backmarkers, finishing fourth beaten less than a length.
“Very proud of him,” jockey James Mcdonald said.
“Obviously just off the course a bit and he got taken wider on the bend, that was race done.”