Joe Pride’s heroic The Everest winner Think About It is at a deservedly short odds-on quote to keep the victories going lining-up as the top pick in the Giga Kick Stakes 2023 field in Sydney on Saturday.
The $3 million Winners Stakes race is renamed each season in honour of the previous year’s The Everest champ and as such runs this spring as the Giga King Stakes.
The 1300m set weights plus penalties showdown at Rosehill Gardens has attracted a diminutive but class field of star sprinters.
So You Think five-year-old Think About It took his incredible career record up to 11 wins from a dozen starts saluting for the punters in the world’s richest turf race on October 14.
The horse is now rock hard fit third-up and ready to fire again and should relish the 1300m distance after winning the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) and Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) with ease in Brisbane over the winter.
Sam Clipperton continues associations on the brilliant Proven Thoroughbreds-raced champ who will take up earnings up over $11 million in stakes with a top four finish.
The latest Giga Kick Stakes betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au have Think About It at $1.80 to win from barrier three and he will take the power of beating.
Pride won the race last year with Private Eye taking out the then Nature Strip Stakes on the back of a narrow second to Giga Kick in The Everest.
This year the now six-year-old son of Al Maher was good again in the $20 million The Everest finishing under a length back third to his stablemate.
He also runs in the Giga Kick Stakes field looking to become the event’s first two-time champion and pays $3.60 to salute form barrier six with Nash Rawiller aboard.
Pride actually chases a third win in the Winners Stakes in as many years having also prepared the popular Eduardo for his 2021 success.
The rails-drawn Cascadian racing first-up for the Godolphin team completes the single-figure fancies at Giga Kick Stakes odds of $8 to salute fresh with Ben Melham aboard.
The evergreen nine-year-old continues to show a zest for racing and has his first run of the spring after an outstanding autumn campaign.
He was second to champion miler Mr Brightside, last seen running second in the Cox Plate last weekend, in the $5 million All-Star Mile before winning Flemington’s Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m).
The versatile stable stalwart had his last run on April 15 when third to Giga Kick in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes 91400m) at Randwick and has been brought on fitness wise with a winning Warwick Farm trial on October 23.
The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Group 1 winning mare Bella Nipotina at $11 is the other standout in the race coming off a trio of third place finishes this prep.
Craig Williams partners the talented Pride Of Dubai six-year-old her as she looks to break a winning drought that goes back to her nearly five-length win in the Manikato last October.
The 2023 Giga Kick Stakes is set to run as Rosehill Race 7 at 4:00pm (AEST) as part of the bumper 10-race The Golden Eagle Day card.
Click here for the latest Giga Kick Stakes 2023 markets courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
2023 Giga Kick Stakes Final Field & Barrier Draw
No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 111x111x11 | THINK ABOUT IT | Joseph Pride | Sam Clipperton | 3 | 58.5kg | 118 | ||
2 | 1154x5213x | CASCADIAN (GB) | James Cummings | Ben Melham | 1 | 58.5kg | 114 | ||
3 | 32x5363x90 | MAZU | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tommy Berry | 7 | 58.5kg | 111 | ||
4 | 217x405x13 | PRIVATE EYE | Joseph Pride | Nash Rawiller | 6 | 57.5kg | 116 | ||
5 | 16460x010x | SURF DANCER (IRE) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Regan Bayliss | 4 | 57.5kg | 106 | ||
6 | x30236x333 | BELLA NIPOTINA | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Craig Williams | 8 | 56.5kg | 112 | ||
7 | 2x43410x34 | COAL CRUSHER | Joseph Pride | Tyler Schiller | 9 | 56kg | 103 | ||
8 | 4x10x735x0 | LOVE TAP | Richard & Will Freedman | Michael Dee | 5 | 56kg | 94 | ||
9 | x01133x350 | ZAPATEO | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 2 | 55.5kg | 109 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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