Clayton Douglas wants to try Everest winner Giga Kick over the 1400m in Saturday’s All Aged Stakes, but will not risk him if Randwick again becomes heavy this week.
Giga Kick has not been back to the winner’s enclosure since The Everest last October and is still yet to win a group 1, but his runs in the VRC Sprint Classic, Challenge Stakes and TJ Smith have been arguably the best of his career.
Craig Williams is back to ride Everest winner Giga Kick in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.Credit: Getty
The Scissor Kick three-year-old suffered a mid-race buffering before looking the winner in the TJ Smith only for I Wish I Win to be too strong for him late.
“I Wish I Win was too good for us on the day but swap the runs we had and I would be confident my horse would go pretty close to winning,” Douglas said. “It was a really good effort.
“He didn’t really like the going in the TJ and I wouldn’t want to run him on a heavy again, especially going to 1400m for the first time.
“We want to have a go at seven [furlongs 1400m] because there is a race like the Golden Eagle in the spring, which would be of interest for him after The Everest.
“He is going really well and Craig Williams is back from injury to ride him, but there is a lot more in front of him and we have that in mind.”
ATC offers Everest slot for tender
The Australian Turf Club will begin a tender process for its slot in The Everest for 2023 and beyond as there has been plenty of interest following the end of the three-year deal with Hong Kong’s Bon Ho.
The club’s slot has been operated by several parties, with the Melbourne Racing Club taking it one year and Bon Ho winning with Classique Legend during his three-year ownership.
The ATC has made approaches to high-profile owners in the past six months asking if they would be interested in taking the slot for the next couple of years.
Kerrin McEvoy won The Everest on Classique legend for Bon Ho in 2020.Credit: Getty Images
There have been queries through Racing NSW from overseas racing businesses interested in taking up a slot with a view to bringing a sprinter from a different country to Australia for the world’s biggest sprint.
Racing NSW remains committed to lifting the prizemoney for The Everest from $15 million to $20 million in the future, which would attract more interest from around the world.
Hong Kong boss flags World Pool option for Randwick’s biggest days
Hong Kong Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges was a guest of Racing NSW for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes meeting, and the heavy hitter is keen to increase synergies between the jurisdictions and see the World Pool tote operating on Sydney’s biggest meeting within the next year.
It shows the once-frosty relationship between the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Racing NSW is thawing, which will open up options for further revenue streams for racing in NSW.
Hong Kong and Japan bet on the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in their own pools on the weekend, but Engelbrecht-Bresges would like to see the meeting as part of the growing World Pool circuit next year.
The World Pool has operated at Royal Ascot, the Dubai World Cup and Flemington’s Lightning Stakes meeting in February and is a way of giving the sport a worldwide identity.
“This is a great meeting with interest added by horses from overseas and it would be the perfect meeting for the World Pool,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. “We need to build the sport around the world and these type of meetings attract attention everywhere.
Dubai Honour wins the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on saturday.Credit: Getty
“If you have two betting markets on this race, they would be different in England and in Australia, so with the World Pool we are creating a completely different value proposition and liquidity for punters.
“So we are working to have this meeting and the top meeting here at Randwick as World Pool meetings.”
Engelbrecht-Bresges has hinted the two racing bodies could work together to get horses for their major meetings at this time of year with Hong Kong have two big meetings at the end of April and beginning of May.
“It is very hard for Hong Kong horses to come down here for these races and then return back for our races,” he said. “But a horse like Dubai Honour can win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and then can come to our Queen Elizabeth II Cup for very good prizemoney. It is a good package to offer to horses.”
McDonald, Moreira share Nathan Berry Medal
The Championships didn’t go to plan for Sydney’s champion jockey James McDonald but his wins in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes and Provincial Midway Championship on Saturday were enough to share the Nathan Berry Medal with Joao Moreira for the carnival’s best jockey.
The medal, named for the Magic Millions-winning Sydney jockey who died in 2014, is highly prized by hoops. Jockey valet Chris Barrett, who stood in for the disqualified Tommy Berry, presented McDonald and Moreira with their medals.
“It is something that you don’t think about, but when you win it is very special because we all remember Nathan,” said McDonald, who took his third medal.
Don Corleone looks for Champagne finish
Peter and Paul Snowden will hope to finally get a group 1 with Don Corleone in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes after running in every big dance this season.
The son of Extreme Choice was luckless Blue Diamond runner-up before running fourth in the Golden Slipper and was second again in the Sires Produce Stakes behind Champagne favourite Militarize.
“He is very tough and is standing up to it very well,” Paul Snowden said. “There are not many horses that can do what he has done in those group 1 races and he deserves his chance to win one. His work continues to be good and the mile is going to suit him.”
James McDonald has been booked for Don Corleone with Tom Marquand to ride Fernhill Handicap runner-up Make A Call, which will back up in the group 1 juvenile mile.
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