Revealed: Jockey Craig Williams threw hat in ring for Giga Kick ride for the 2024 Spring Carnival

Melbourne-based jockey Craig Williams has put last year’s Giga Kick saga behind him, with Racenet able to reveal he was again hunting the ride for the 2024 Spring Carnival.

Craig Williams and trainer Clayton Douglas after Giga Kick won the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 last year. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography.

Craig Williams has put last year’s Giga Kick saga behind him, with fresh revelations he was hunting the ride again.

Racenet can reveal 77-time Group 1 winner Williams contacted Giga Kick’s connections and threw his hat in the ring for the ace ride this spring carnival.

It came after Williams was dumped from the Giga Kick ride last September following a disastrous Group 2 McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley where the 2022 The Everest-winning sprinter tore a muscle and hasn’t raced since.

Giga Kick’s connections have now opted to give James McDonald first dibs to ride Giga Kick this spring for the star sprinter’s comeback run in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday week.

McDonald had been set to ride Clayton Douglas’s sprinter on an Everest campaign last spring after Williams was axed from the ride.

But McDonald never got the chance, given Giga Kick was then sidelined with injury.

Craig Williams once had a happy and fruitful association with Giga Kick. Picture: AFP

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The mere fact that Melbourne Cup winner Williams rang for the ride this spring shows how highly he rates Giga Kick and how well he believes the gelding is going as he returns from a long stint on the sidelines.

On Tuesday, Douglas flew to Sydney to ride Giga Kick in an 800m spin around the Kensington track and was pleased with the gallop.

It came after Giga Kick trialled at Randwick last week with McDonald on board.

Giga Kick finished second in an 850m trial heat behind Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot and had a good blow afterwards.

Prior to that trial, Giga Kick had a single jumpout in Victoria.

1⃣ Lady Of Camelot
2⃣ Giga Kick
3⃣ Linebacker

The reigning Golden Slipper winner, with @ZacLloydx up, holds the 2022 #TABEverest champ (@mcacajamez) in an 850m Kensington trial on Monday. Celestial Legend and Democracy Manifest followed. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/8XdKk6Yrmi

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 18, 2024

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In betting on the 2024 The Everest, Giga Kick is rated the $8 third pick to again score the mega-rich race he won in 2022.

I Wish I Win, with a slot deal already inked, is the $4.50 favourite while last Saturday’s dazzling Randwick winner Joliestar is the $5 second favourite on TAB fixed odds.

Originally published as Revealed: Jockey Craig Williams threw hat in ring for Giga Kick ride for the 2024 Spring Carnival