Clayton Douglas couldn't be happier with Giga Kick ahead of the AU$1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (G1) May 31 at Eagle Farm. The 2022 Everest and 2023 Doomben Ten Thousand (G1) winner produced a strong run in the Goodwood (G1) earlier this month, rattling home from back and wide to finish third in his first outing since the Champions Sprint (G1) last November. Douglas said the son of Scissor Kick has come through the run and trip north in top order.
"Really happy with how he's settled in," the trainer told Racing.com. "He's a fairly seasoned campaigner now, he's done a bit of travel. He hasn't missed a beat since he's arrived—he's been here a week now and we're looking forward to Saturday. We were lucky enough to do a little bit with him at Doomben on Saturday and then had a nice gallop on the course proper here this morning. He's tightened up nicely for his second-up run and I can't fault how he's going."
Mark Zahra retains the ride aboard Giga Kick for Saturday's 1,300-meter (about 6 1/2-furlong) event. Douglas said the Stradbroke Handicap (G1) remains a live option pending the gelding's performance this weekend. "He's weighted right up to his best in the Straddie," he said. "We'll get through Saturday and I'll make that assessment based on how he performs."
Jason Warren is keeping faith in group 1 winner Benedetta ahead of her assignment in the Kingsford Smith Cup. The Victorian mare bypassed a defense of her Goodwood crown in favor of the Brisbane carnival, but was compromised first-up when fourth in the Doomben Ten Thousand on a surface her trainer believes was worse than advertised.
"She just wasn't handling it," Warren said. "Jamie (Melham) was trying to find the best ground out wide, but she was changing legs and her wheels were spinning. They called it a Heavy 8, but J-Mac said after race one it was a 10, and it broke up as the day went on. There was heavy dew again Tuesday—they said a Soft 6, but I'd have said it was closer to an 8. Hopefully Eagle Farm holds up. It's a well-draining track and if we don't get more rain, it should improve."
Melham again rides Benedetta, who has just the one prior run at Eagle Farm when midfield in last year's Stradbroke Handicap but completed a course-proper gallop May 27. "It was really foggy so I only saw about 50 meters of her work, but her recovery was excellent and she's got a real glow to her coat," Warren said. Should Benedetta perform Saturday, the Stradbroke June 14 is again on the radar.
All roads lead to the Stradbroke Handicap for another Kingsford Smith entrant in Kimochi, but trainer Gary Portelli believes Saturday's race could be an important steppingstone with the high-class mare finally drawing low in barrier 3. The 2024 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (G1) winner has endured hard luck with barriers this prep, including when a brave fifth from an outside draw in the T J Smith Stakes (G1) and a luckless All Aged Stakes (G1) effort where she was posted three and four wide throughout and came last.
"My fault," Portelli said. "I told the jock (Nash Rawiller) to put the foot down out of the barriers to get across, and four other jockeys had the same instructions, so she ended up three and four deep the whole way. It was a disaster. She has finally drawn a gate where we can just put her to sleep and give her a chance to run home. She will get every chance this weekend, I'm sure."
While the Kingsford Smith isn't her grand final, Portelli says the trip is right in her wheelhouse. "She's better second-up, so there is a chance she might just need the run in this over the 1,300 meters, which I think is her sweet spot distance-wise. Then the 1,400 meters two weeks later is going to be spot-on."
Four for Waikato Stud in Queensland Derby
Waikato Stud will be four-handed in Saturday's AU$1 million Queensland Derby (G1) as it aims to build on its rich history in the 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) race. The Matamata farm has bred past Derby winners Brambles (2012) and Lachlan River (2005), while Kukeracha (2021) was also a graduate. This year, King of Thunder, Party Crasher, and Cliff Brown-trained duo Scintillante and Rogan will fly the flag.
"I don't know if we've achieved that before, but it's the old story that as long as one of them wins then we'll be very happy," Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick said. "We've been following them all and we're looking forward to it. We are very proud to have that representation in a group 1."
King of Thunder ran third in the Rough Habit Plate (G3) last start for John O'Shea and Tom Charlton, while Party Crasher, trained by Michael Hickmott, heads to the group 1 off back-to-back Morphettville wins. Scintillante was fourth in the South Australian Derby (G1) last start, while his in-form stablemate Rogan comes in off a Caulfield victory.
"I wouldn't write off King of Thunder, they've been wanting a wider draw to let him settle back," Chittick said. "The Ocean Park (Party Crusher) is a very, very tough horse and the two for Cliff Brown are both also in good form." Waikato sires are also represented by Maison Louis (Super Seth) and Beau Dazzler (Ardrossan).
Nicholas Bishara will be on course at Eagle Farm Saturday as a closely bred relative of Verry Elleegant, Belle Detelle, lines up in the Queensland Derby. The New Zealand trainer missed Verry Elleegant's 2021 Melbourne Cup (G1) win due to restrictions but is determined not to miss another major moment for the family.
"Missing the Melbourne Cup cut to the core," Bishara said. "We have tried to make it this time around not to miss many races because they are once in a lifetime chances."
Bishara trained Verry Elleegant, by Zed, in her early career and has since remained involved in the family, breeding Belle Detelle in partnership with Matt Duffie out of Towkay mare Black Lace, a half sister to Very Elleengant. The filly is trained by Chris Waller, who prepared Verry Elleegant to her 11 group 1 wins.
Also a daughter of Zed, Belle Detelle has won two of her seven starts and was a group winner in the Adrian Knox Stakes (G3) at Randwick Racecourse last month. She finished sixth behind stablemate and fellow Derby entrant Imperialist in the Rough Habit Plate (G3) this month, a result Bishara said was affected by track conditions.
"I was a little bit disappointed, but James (McDonald) and Chris weren't," Bishara said. "James declared afterwards that she was his Derby ride, and he wouldn't be swapping her for anything." McDonald indeed takes the ride Saturday, with Belle Detelle drawing barrier 21 plus emergencies.
