Doomben 10,000 (Group 1)

FRESH from his win in the A$4 million Quokka at Ascot in Western Australia, Overpass was brave but ultimately no match for April’s All Aged Stakes winner Gigi Kick in Saturday’s Doomben 10,000.

With regular jockey Craig Williams up, Giga Kick has a large red circle marked around October 14th, 2023, the date for the $15 million Everest.

Ambling up to the leaders as the field swung into the straight for the 1,200 metre Brisbane Group 1, Giga Kick had to work for his win, though the result never looked in doubt, justifying his $1.65 price. Home by a half-length, the Scissor Kick gelding defeated the Vancouver gelding Overpass as the Maurice gelding Mazu, winner of this race last year, ran on well for third.

Phenomenal

“I think he still had a bit of petrol left in the tank,” said Douglas. “He’s a phenomenal horse isn’t he? Four runs this preparation, two Group 1 wins and he just got beaten in the TJ Smith.

“It’s great everyone has come out to see him and that’s what we wanted to see, this has been great for us and it’s been great for Queensland racing.”

Bred and raced by Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing, Giga Kick has now banked just shy of A$9.6 million from 10 starts with trainer Clayton Douglas confirming the plan to defend last year’s Everest win.

“His kick off point at this stage will be the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley and all going well he’ll be third-up in The Everest,” added Douglas.

Dunkel delivers in Derby

Thomas Farms South Australian Derby (Group 1)

DUNKEL, the Tasmanian Derby winner who was a disappointing ninth in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes in March has denied the Maher and Eustace stable a third Morphettville Group 1 across the past three Saturdays.

Lining up in the 2,500 metre South Australian Derby, Dunkel having settled near the tail with Billy Egan up, made a sustained run from back in the field weaving between runners to finally charge after Promises Kept who had led all the way.

Catching the Cluster gelding Promises Kept in the dying stages, Dunkel won by a half-length ahead of the Maher and Eustace runner as the So You Think gelding Aberfeldie Boy ran on well for third. Trained by Patrick Payne, the Dundeel three-year-old gelding was a NZ$40,000 Karaka Yearling before being sold on for NZ$100,000 at the New Zealand Ready-to-Run Sale to New Zealand trainer Kevin Myers. His record now stands at six wins from eight starts with the Group 1 a first for both trainer and jockey.

Killer instinct

“He’s got that killer instinct and every horse out there he wants to pass, and that’s what he did. The further we got into the straight, the more my bloke tried, and he wanted to pass it,” said Billy Egan. “Thanks to Patrick (Payne) and the whole team, it’s not just my first Group 1, it’s all of ours together. We’ve been a team for a long time, so I’m just really happy we can enjoy it as a team.”

Cup Flare on cards for Lunar

FOR the second consecutive year, the Grahame Begg-trained Lunar Flare has won her way, ballot-free, into the Melbourne Cup.

A winner of the 2,510 metre Bart Cummings last October before scratched out of the Cup with lameness on race morning, Begg and the Fiorente mare’s owners have an opportunity for redemption following Lunar Flare’s 2,800 metre Andrew Ramsden win at Flemington on Saturday.

“It was a fabulous effort and it’s great the owners were patient,” said Begg. “They allowed us to put her away, get her ready for this race and they backed my judgement not to run her again after the Easter Cup. That was vital as it was a very hard run race. It was a bit of a war of attrition that day on the deteriorating track.”

Not surprisingly the Irish-bred White Marlin went straight to the front as Lunar Flare found the rail just better than midfield in the 18-horse field.

Her rider, Michael Dee, patiently waited to angle out from the rail on the final bend. Into the clear, Lunar Flare was the winner a long way out posting a six-length win over the Mastercraftsman gelding White Marlin who just held an advantage over the Declaration Of War gelding Hasta La War.

“I always knew they were going to go at a gallop and keep it genuine which I was happy about,” said Dee.

“There was a question mark whether she would get any sort of trip, but the way she has come back this prep and the way she is relaxing, the way she won today, 3,200 metres isn’t going to be an issue for her. It wasn’t our year last year. Hopefully this year will be different.”