Clayton Douglas had hoped to be part of the Sydney Autumn carnival with Giga Kick, but the opportunity to take on The Goodwood at Morphettville proved too good to resist.

The 2022 The Everest winner will resume in Saturday’s The Goodwood (1200m), where he will carry just 54.5kg due to the set-weights-and-penalties conditions for the $1 million Group 1. This is because he hasn’t won since the 2023 Doomben 10,000.

Giga Kick gets 2kg off joint topweights Charm Stone and Climbing Star, mares he would typically concede 6.5kg and 6kg to in a handicap.

His last start was a 2-1/4-length seventh in the Champions Sprint at Flemington, but he was beaten just a head by Bella Nipotina in The Everest and finished fourth in the spring’s first-up run.

“That’s serious form for a Goodwood,” Douglas said. “He’s meeting Group 3 winners, as a Group 1 winner, on level weights.”

Douglas initially planned to race Giga Kick earlier in the year, but the conditions of The Goodwood steered him towards Adelaide before a potential Brisbane trip for the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m).

“He’s going to have a couple of nice runs, then I’ll have that nice residual fitness going into the spring,” Douglas added.

Giga Kick has had a solid preparation with jumpouts at Mornington and Balnarring, and Douglas believes he’s in top shape.

“He is ready now, he’s forward, he’s fit and he’s going to take some serious beating,” he said.

Mark Zahra will ride the $2.25 favourite in the 13-horse field from barrier 12.