Cover image by Albert Perez courtesy of AAP Photos
Written by Pau Vettise
A chance taken by Michael Costa on a Kiwi-bred last year was handsomely rewarded when Supergiant (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}) won the G3 Lexus Gunsynd Classic at Eagle Farm.
It was a nail-biting finish with Supergiant hanging on narrowly to score and provided the Gold Coast-based Costa with the first Group success of his training career, as it did rider Allan Chau.
He purchased the 3-year-old off a trial video after the gelding, then prepared at Matamata by former Group 1-winning jockey Jim Collett, had finished runner-up in a 1200 metre heat in September.
Supergiant quickly showed his worth when he made a winning debut for Costa on his adopted home track less than a month later. Following a break, he doubled his winning tally at Ipswich before a runner-up finish in the Listed Daybreak Lover at Doomben.
On Saturday, the bay again set the tempo in front under regular rider Allan Chau and after kicking clear in the straight they saw it through to score by the barest of margins.
“It’s our first Group win and there’s still improvement to come. He’s been a bit tricky to train this horse and we’re getting know him better,” Costa said. “He’s not a horse you can do a lot with in trackwork.”
“It’s our first Group win and there’s still improvement to come. He’s been a bit tricky to train this horse and we’re getting know him better.” - Michael Costa
He also paid tribute to all the behind the scenes efforts of Chau, who has partnered Supergiant in four of his five race day starts.
“It’s great for Allan, who puts in a lot of hard work for the stable. You come to a Group race and a lot of punters want the best jockey on, but he’s ridden him perfectly,” Costa said.
“He’s stuck with him through the whole preparation and I’ve just seen him and he’s absolutely ecstatic.”
Michael Costa
Runner-up Ballistic Boy (Smart Missile) finished boldly from off the pace and the raging favourite Kinane (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) was third. He went back from a wide gate and was doing his best work in the closing 150 metres.
Supergiant will make his next appearance in the G3 Rough Habit Plate at Doomben and Costa believes the gelding will be even more of a force to be reckoned with next season.
He is a son of the Group 1 winner Red Giant (USA), who shuttled to Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud from Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm and Three Chimneys in Kentucky before he was relocated to Turkey in 2016. His best Southern Hemisphere representative to date is the G1 Auckland Cup winner Glory Days (NZ).
Supergiant is out of My Marguerite (NZ) (Spectacular Love {USA}) and is from the family of the G1 Victoria Derby winner Kibbutz (NZ) (Golan {Ire}).
