Saturday summary: Giga kicks his rivals into touch with fine victory in The Everest

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Clayton and Williams celebrate first wins in The Everest

With his official birthday on October 19, Giga Kick, the son of former Arrowfield Stud inmate Scissor Kick, is still technically a juvenile, but he showed maturity beyond his years to fly up the Randwick straight under Craig Williams and land the lucrative spoils for his owner Jonathan Munz and slotholder James Harron Bloodstock, who was winning the race for the second time having selected Redzel (Sntizel) to run in his slot in the inaugural edition in 2017.

There was pre-race drama early on in the day, when Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) was forced to withdraw from the $15 million sprint after failing the vet and he was replaced by Kementari (Lonhro).

But once the race itself got underway it looked like the drama had stopped there, because as the field rounded the turn it was familiar foes Nature Strip (Nicconi) and Eduardo (Host {Chi}) battling up the front.

Eventually, Eduardo’s effort came to nothing and he quickly dropped away leaving Nature Strip in his favourite spot, at the front of proceedings, and it looked to be a case of déjà vu for the reigning champion, who quickly put 1.5l on his rivals.

However, as the winning line drew closer, Private Eye (Al Maher) began to pick up and was soon on the flanks of Nature Strip and looked ripe to burst through and take victory.

But there was another sting in the tail, as Giga Kick, seemingly sprouting wings, soared up the middle of the track to nail the race in the shades of the winning post, eventually beating Private Eye by 0.44l, while Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) came home another 0.3l away in third. Nature Strip was another 0.1l further afield in fourth.

Keeping the faith

Douglas, a former jumps jockey, said he always had a lot of faith in the horse, despite some people believing he was only in the sprint to make up the numbers.

“I had a lot of confidence in this horse. He’s a really good horse, he’s a superstar. He probably had the ‘potters’ you know, 3-year-old and probably wasn’t good enough, but I had a lot of faith in him,” he said.

“He’s such a professional and you can see today (Saturday), with the 53 kilos when ridden like that, he’s electric. It’s a bit of a whirlwind, but he wasn’t in the race to make the numbers up and I had a lot of faith in him. He’s a star.”

“Watch out, the new kid is on the block.”

Douglas was also quick to praise Munz and Harron, for choosing the gelding to represent him in the $15 million race.

“He’s a star and I’m so rapt for the owners, rapt for Jonathan Munz and James Harron, he put his neck on the line to take a 3-year-old and do what he’s done. It’s great.

“There’s a massive team behind me, I work very hard and I’ve got a great bunch of staff. To be honest, it’s a bit of a whirlwind at the moment, but I’m very happy.”

It was a first taste of The Everest success for jockey Craig Williams, who was narrowly denied a win in 2017 when he finished an agonising second behind Redzel on Vega Magic (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

However, Williams was unwilling to take the credit for Saturday’s win and was quick to heap praise on the trainer and the team around him.

“Clayton Douglas, you talk about how young of a trainer he is but he’s well before his time,” said the winning rider. “I’m just lucky to have been part of the ride. My team around me, my family, thank you for everything throughout the years. This is a really big thrill. The inaugural running of it five years ago I finished second on Vega Magic and I thought we had unfinished business.”

Williams had ridden the horse on his previous two starts in the G2 Vain S. and G2 Danehill S. and the jockey said he has improved since his last start and believes there is still more to come from him.

“He planned to give him a gap between his first and his next run into the Danehill at Flemington, he told me to come down and jump on him and Clayton said, ‘Craig this horse has absolutely improved four lengths. Come down and trial him,” he continued. “‘Actually, we might not be 12 months behind schedule at all.’

“Then what he did the other day in the Danehill, and trusting Clayton as the horseman that he is, with a horse that he’s got and given the opportunity from Pinecliff (connections) and of course James Harron (slotholder) who had a tough decision.

“Thanks for his support in our confidence in the horse, but again the equine athlete, the legend on this track today (Saturday) is Giga Kick.”

Bred by Munz’s Pinecliff Racing and raised at Mike Fleming’s Bhima operation, the gelding is out of the stakes-placed Royal Applause (GB) mare Rekindled Applause (GB), making him a three-quarter brother to stakes-placed duo Rekindled Power (Redoute’s Choice) and Shuffle Up (Redoute’s Choice).

First emergency Durston takes Caulfield Cup honours

The Waller camp’s feeling of disappointment after Nature Strip’s shock defeat in The Everest may have ebbed away quite quickly after witnessing Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) come from the clouds to see off all his rivals in the G1 Caulfield Cup.

The British-bred son of Sea The Moon (Ger) only gained a start in the race on Saturday morning after John O’Shea decided to scratch Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) due to the soft conditions and Durston took full advantage of the situation, storming home to chin Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) on the line, handing Chris Waller his second win in the Group 1, having saddled Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) to win the race in 2020.

Raced by Highclere Australia, Durston has very much been a work in progress since his arrival in Australia in August 2021, but he showed he might be a force to be reckoned with over the longer trips when he landed his first stakes race in the Listed Wyong Cup, before following up that win with a victory in the G3 Newcastle Gold Cup on September 16 and he was last seen running a sound race to finish sixth in the G1 Metropolitan H.

Jo Taylor, the stable foreman for Waller, said it had been a nervous wait on Saturday morning to see if the gelding made the field.

“Even this morning we kept watching, looking at the track rating,” Taylor said. “We suspected Maximal would come out but if the track had improved too much maybe he wouldn't.

“He gained a start and at that stage we hoped the track would keep improving and bring a horse like this into the race.

“He's been in such a rich vein of form, so to see him get this and for all the owners that have stuck with him for so long, it's just a fantastic result for everyone.”

Speaking from Sydney, Waller described the win of Durston and the defeat of Nature Strip as the 'highs and lows of racing'.

“Nature Strip was great only minutes ago, but we were deflated, but wow what an amazing win in the Caulfield Cup,” Waller said. “It's a big deal. Durston, he's a really decent horse. He looked like he needed a bit of luck getting out and he did get out, so a great ride from Michael (Dee).”

Waller confirmed the gelding would now head towards the G1 Melbourne Cup.

“He was strong the last 50 metres, so it is exciting heading towards the Melbourne Cup.”

Bred by Kirsten Rausing, who stands Sea The Moon at her Lanwades Stud in Newmarket, Durston is from the winning mare Caribana (GB) (Hernando {Fr}), making him a half-brother to Group 3 winner Cubanita (GB) (Selkirk {USA}), who was also placed at Group 1 level.

Further back the gelding derives from the same family as G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Key Change (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}).

The gelding was purchased at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale by Blandford Bloodstock for 52,000gns (AU$88,400) in 2017.

Forsman celebrates unbelievable day at the races

New Zealand trainer Andrew Forsman could surely not have hoped for a better start to his first season as a sole trainer and on Saturday he enjoyed an extraordinary day at the races, saddling an across the Tasman treble, headed by Mustang Valley’s (NZ) (Vanbrugh) victory in the G1 Livamol Classic.

Mustang Valley’s triumph came a mere 40 minutes after the talented 3-year-old Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel) made his intentions for the G1 VRC Derby quite clear with a victory in the G3 Neds Classic, while Forsman signalled he could be in for a big day when Saint Bathans (Maurice {Jpn}) landed Race 2 on the Caulfield card, the Lamaro's Hotel Grand H.

Then, for good measure, he capped off the afternoon with a fourth victory, and third stakes win, when Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) stormed back into form, coming out on top of a photo finish to win the final race on the Caulfield card, the G3 Moonga S.

Forsman began his training career as the co-trainer to legendary New Zealand handler Murray Baker, but is now coursing his own path after Baker retired at the end of last season and Mustang Valley handed Forsman his first top-flight winner under his own banner.

The 4-year-old mare came into the Group 1 having finished an unlucky third in the G1 Arrowfield Stud Plate on October 8 and she showed she was a bona fide elite-class mare when galloping away to beat Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) by an emphatic 5.3l.

“It's all pretty surreal as I'm sitting here at Caulfield having trained a couple of winners on Caulfield Cup Day and now I've managed to get my first Group 1 victory on my own,” Forsman said.

“We knew she was going well but to see her do that was pretty special as I didn't think it would unfold the way it did.

“I wasn't really that nervous and was just hoping she would go like we thought she would, but in the end, she was completely dominant.

“In the past few weeks, she has kept getting better and better and has thrived with the racing.

“Track conditions certainly played in her favour, but realistically I don't think it would have mattered what track she struck as she is at the top of her game and just flying.”

Forsman will now take some time to see how the mare recovers from the race and her trip away before deciding whether she will go for a spell or continue on with a possible trip across the Tasman.

“There is the temptation to think about coming over to Australia, but any thinking about that will be done after we see how she pulls up from today (Saturday),” he said.

Bred by Windsor Park Stud, where her sire Vanbrugh calls home, Mustang Valley is out of the winning New Approach (Ire) mare Cream Of The Crop, who Windsor Park purchased for a bargain price of $5000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2017.

In winning the race, Mustang Valley became the first Group 1 winner for the Windsor Park Stud-based sire Vanbrugh, who was only handed his first stakes winner this year courtesy of Sheez Dominant’s win in the Listed Wanganui Guineas.

On track for Derby success

Meanwhile, Mr Maestro has been in as good a form as his trainer this preparation and he soared the head of the betting for the G1 VRC Derby when he landed the the Listed Super Impose S. on October 1 and the colt tightened his ironclad grip on that time-honoured Group 1 when he defeated Muramasa (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by 0.1l, while Distrustful Award (Shamus Award) was another 2l away in third.

With his regular jockey Damian Lane in Sydney riding at The Everest meeting, Harry Coffey took over the reins and Forsman was quick to praise the rider.

“It didn't quite pan out as we would have liked,” Forsman said.

“Small field, slowly run and I was a little bit nervous that it might pan out like that, but we had to be confident that he was the best horse.

“Full credit to Harry (Coffey). He could have panicked and gone a bit too soon. He galloped him up at Flemington last Saturday morning and I think he knew what he had underneath him.

Forsman was pleased to see the track upgraded from the Heavy range on Friday to a Soft 7 after the running of Saturday's first race.

“This is the path we wanted to take into the race," Forsman said. “I was a little bit nervous about running him on a testing track, so it could have been a lot worse.”

Another bred by Windsor Park, the colt is out of Let Me Roar (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), who Forsman and Baker guided to six victories and a Group 3 placing. The daughter of Rip Van Winkle (Ire) herself is a half-sister to Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home {GB}), who Baker, and his son Bjorn, saddled to win the 2010 G1 VRC Derby.

Kept in training as a 4-year-old, the son of Storming Home (GB) added the G1 Underwood S. to his CV in 2011, a victory which handed Forsman his first Group 1, having formed a partnership with Baker earlier that same year.

Mr Maestro himself was purchased by Forsman for NZ$100,000 at Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2021.

Back in form

Forsman's fourth win of the afternoon came in the shape of 2020 G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Aegon, who had somewhat lost his way recently, but he showed his talent had far from diminished when he defeated Bandersnatch (Casino Prince) by 0.1l.

“I am just rapt to get this one out of the way and see him back to his best form,” Forsman said.

“We brought him over here just because of lack of options at home and it is hard for a smallish horse to carry big weights.

“The set weights and penalties of the race today suited and mentally he seems a happy horse that is in the zone.”

Meanwhile, Saint Bathans was the headline act of a treble for the Arrowfield Stud-based shuttler, Maurice (Jpn), with his 3-year-old daughters Killiako and Noah 'n' A Deel, saluting in their respective races at Morphettville Parks and the Gold Coast.

“Our team over here is also going great guns and I was thrilled with both Saint Bathans and Mr Maestro,” continued Forsman.

“Saint Bathans will keep going through the grades while Mr Maestro will now go straight to the Derby on the first day at Flemington.”

Oaks plan for Renaissance Woman

The Kiwi theme at Caulfield continued apace on Saturday, when Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) showed her class to win in the G3 Ethereal S. and she will now head to the G1 VRC Oaks at Flemington on November 3.

Trained by New Zealand expat Bjorn Baker, the 3-year-old filly came from the back of the field to beat Foxy Cleopatra (American Pharoah {USA}) by 0.75l. Pavitra (American Pharoah {USA}) was another 1.8l away in third.

Renaissance Woman was last seen running seventh in the G1 Flight S. and winning jockey Josh Parr said the filly had improved with every run.

“The physical development she has made has been great," Parr said.

“I trialled her at Rosehill (last preparation) and then rode her in a race at Canterbury, and I was quite upbeat about the feel that she gave me.

“But she was just screaming out for time at that particular moment and she's got that now, got down here in the spring and she's really furnished into a lovely filly.

“I was confident in my pursuit of catching the lead group, I had a lot of horse, but I had to take my time.

“She needed my help around Caulfield the first time, so I had to assure her around the bend. Foxy Cleopatra had been a total nuisance but we took care of them and we were victorious, which is great.”

In winning the race, Renaissance Woman has now earned a shot at becoming the third horse to complete the G3 Ethereal S./ G1 VRC Oaks double, behind Set Square (Reset) (2014) and Pinot (Pierro) (2017).

The filly was bred by Gerry Harvey and purchased by Brian Nutt of Attunga Stud for NZ$250,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. She is out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Mrs Kennedy, who is herself a three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner Missrock and Listed winner Passive Aggressive.

With this latest victory, Renaissance Woman becomes the 20th stakes winner for the Westbury Stud-based stallion Reliable Man (GB).

Newgate inmates celebrate stakes wins

Newgate Farm barnmates Deep Field and Flying Artie chalked up new stakes winners at Caulfield on Saturday, with former’s daughter, A Very Fine Red, landing the Listed Alinghi S., while the latter is the sire of Asfoora, who took out the G2 McCafe Sprint.

Trained by Mark Newnham, A Very Fine Red defeated Shalstar (Shalaa {Ire}) by 0.1 and in the process handed Deep Field with his 20th stakes winner.

The mare was purchased by Steve Summers from the Vinery Stud draft for $120,000 at Round 2 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2020 and she is out of three-time-winning Nicconi mare Italian Storm.

Meanwhile, Asfoora, who is trained by Henry Dwyer, made her second foray into stakes company count when she defeated the James Cummings-trained Kallos (Medgalia D’Oro {USA}) by 2.8l.

Asfoora was able to comfortably find the front and control Saturday's race to give Dwyer his second win in the race having scored with Snitty Kitty (Snitzel) in 2017.

“We've been up in Ballarat for two years now,” Dwyer said.

“I know we've had a Group 2, might have won a Group 3, but she is certainly the best horse I've saddled up for a very long time and is reminiscent of Snitty Kitty who won this race a few years ago.

“It's been a really long-range plan, pretty much since she went to the paddock last preparation, but it hasn't been completely smooth sailing.

“There have been a few road bumps along the way, but all's well that ends well.”

Asfoora becomes the fourth stakes winner for Flying Artie, whose progeny is headed by G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Artorius and the stallion is standing at Newgate Farm for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

Regally bred Sandpaper grinds down rivals at Caulfield

Regally bred colt Sandpaper (Snitzel) started to live up to his huge pedigree as he scored his first win at stakes level in the Listed Gothic S. at Caulfield on Saturday and in the process handed multiple Australian Champion Sire Snitzel with his 126th stakes winner.

Raced and bred by Godolphin, the colt has failed to get his head in front since breaking his maiden in January earlier this year and he was able to put some uninspiring past performances behind him, flashing home to beat Angry Skies (Toronado {Ire}) by 0.2l. Custodian (Shalaa {Ire}), who led for much of the contest, finished another 0.8l away in third.

For James Cummings and the Godolphin team it was the second win of the day, after Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) landed the G3 Craven Plate at Randwick earlier in the afternoon.

“Well, I thought it was really instructive for us because we had been at a bit of a cross roads with Sandpaper. I’ve been struck by the horse as being something of a promising miler and I have just never quite been able to get the right set up with the horse,” said Cummings.

“Getting up in trip now, he looks like he could be a good Carbine Club horse.”

The colt is out of the unraced mare Smooth (Lonhro), who is herself a daughter of multiple Group 1-winning Champion Pierro, who now stands at Coolmore Stud. Meanwhile, Smooth also counts Group 2 winner Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}) among her half-siblings.

With this latest stakes victory, Sandpaper becomes the third stakes winner bred on the Snitzel / Lonhro cross and they include Group scorer Bruckner.