Giga Kick getting closer to racetrack return following jumpout at Mornington

Trainer Clayton Douglas is getting excited with Giga Kick a month away from his long-awaited return from an injury that nearly ended his career.

A choice of Australia’s best jockeys to ride Giga Kick is a nice problem after the rehabilitation uncertainty trainer Clayton Douglas has experienced previously with the comeback sprint superstar.

Mornington-based Douglas rode Giga Kick in a jumpout on the home deck on Wednesday, The Everest and multiple Group 1 winner’s first serious gallop in 11 months.

A rare deep tissue muscle tear, likely sustained in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes last September, parked Giga Kick at the career crossroad.

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Even six months ago Douglas was not sure Giga Kick would get back on track.

Douglas has largely distanced himself from the jockey selection process, to focus on the horse, with Giga Kick’s owner Jonathan Munz and Pinecliff racing manager Rod Douglas to make the decision.

“I’m not the person having to worry or liaise on that sort of stuff … between Jonathan and Rocket (uncle Rod Douglas) I’ll leave that up to them,” Douglas said.

“I’ll train the horse and keep him on his program and keep everyone updated on how he’s going, there’s obviously plenty of jockeys wanting to get on him, that’s for sure.

“I’d say it will be one of the top five or six jockeys in the country that will ride him … I’m very lucky to have a small stable like I do and to be able to talk about trying to pick out a jockey for a horse that’s kicking off in a good race first-up, it’s a good problem to have.

“This time six months ago I wasn’t sure where we were sitting in the scheme of things, now we’re getting to the nitty gritty point of it, we’ll start to screw that down.”

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Australia’s top jockey James McDonald was booked to ride Giga Kick last spring after Munz and Rod Douglas fell out with regular rider Craig Williams for his steer in the McEwen.

McDonald never got the chance with Giga Kick sidelined once the muscle injury surfaced.

A jockey booking is expected to be confirmed next week, with Giga Kick to resume in the $1 million Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 7.

Clayton Douglas riding Giga Kick (left) in a jumpout at Mornington on Wednesday morning. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Giga Kick will travel to Sydney on the weekend to settle before an official trial next Friday.

“It’s really good to see him back, the whole general public are excited to see him back,” Douglas said.

“I think he’s the horse everyone has been waiting to see again, he’s won seven of 11, he’s a multiple Group 1 winner that was probably stopped at the peak of his powers through injury, not through anything else.

“Hopefully with the good break we’ve given him and the time we’ve been able to put into him we can be rewarded this spring with him.”

Douglas is under no illusion of the task ahead, despite Giga Kick making strong progress.

He trucked up powerfully under his own steam to run second in the 800m heat Wednesday.

“It’s not easy in any sport really (comeback after 12 months), could be football, soccer, basketball,” Douglas said.

“You can do all the miles and get all the miles in the legs but until they go and do it race day, everyone is going to sit with a bit of hope he comes back and does what he does.

“There’s no reason to think he won’t, off his trial this morning, he felt great.

“It was a nice trial, he settled out back early … and went up to the line under no pressure, under a hold … a good stretch of the legs really.

“He’s ticking all those boxes, it’s a month Saturday before he runs, so it’s not long now.”

Originally published as Giga Kick getting closer to racetrack return following jumpout at Mornington