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By Ray Hickson

It’s not so much as a matter of when, it’s which slot holder will snap up TAB Everest champion Giga Kick for his defence of the world’s richest turf race in October.

Craig Williams and Clayon Douglas after Giga Kick's G1 win. (Pic: Steve Hart)

The star three-year-old notched his first Group 1 with a stirring victory in the $1.5 million Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick and trainer Clayton Douglas immediately signalled a second Everest is well within his grasp.

Giga Kick raced in the James Harron Bloodstock slot for his 2022 Everest campaign and you’d imagine that group would be in the box seat but Douglas said there’s been plenty of inquiries about the gelding.

“Obviously there’s a lot of interest, I’ll let Jonathan (Munz, owner) work that out, but I’m happy to take home the All Aged and I might have to go back and have a beer with Giga Kick tonight and have a discussion on how well he went,’’ Douglas said.

“We want to try and win the Everest again in the spring and I’ll make sure he’s 100 per cent spot on.”

Redzel remains the only dual winner of the Everest having taken out the first two editions.

Douglas said now that Giga Kick has ticked the 1400m box, and with something in hand, it would open up the option of running in the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), for four-year-olds, two weeks after the Everest.

He stressed the Everest is the major goal and will consider whether the horse has one more run in the Doomben 10,000 next month before he focuses in on the $15 million sprint.

The win took Giga Kick’s earnings to just under $8.7 million from nine starts and left Douglas a very proud 28-year-old trainer.

“I’m not a very emotional person but for some reason I’m getting emotional about this one,’’ he said.

“It means a lot, it’s everything we strive to do, it’s phenomenal.

“He’s a high class horse and I was very confident during the week. He went through the line pretty strong so I think the 1400m was no drama.”

For jockey Craig Williams it was a triumphant return from injury sustained in a fall in Melbourne that forced him to miss the ride on Giga Kick in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes two weeks ago.

“I remember sitting in hospital when they said I wasn’t able to ride him in the TJ (Smith) and I know how that felt,’’ he said.

“Luckily enough they gave me the opportunity to ride him today and I must tell Clayton and his owner that I work out harder on my mechanical horse than what I had to do in the race today because he’s such a serious horse.

“Full credit has got to go to Clayton Douglas as trainer. I’m lucky enough to get on him race day.

“I haven’t been on his back, I’ve seen him on TV, until today. He’s got a great hand on where he’s at and developing this horse. He’s a three-year-old having his ninth start and he’s just so exciting.

“I couldn’t be feeling more blessed to be a part of his team.”

Giga Kick remains $6 equal favourite for the TAB Everest, run on October 14, with his TJ Smith nemesis I Wish I Win.

Mazu remains the only confirmed runner in the Everest at this point, through his two year deal with The Star & Arrowfield, and he’s on the third line at $8.

Giga Kick wins the All Aged Stakes

Japanese visitor Ho O Amazon finished seventh in the All Aged, on the day his trainer Yoshito Yahagi was reunited with his former boss Neville Begg who gave him his start some 40 years ago.

Jockey Ryusei Sakai said the five-year-old wasn’t comfortable in the soft 7 conditions at Randwick.

“He tried very hard but he doesn’t like this ground. Very hard for him,’’ he said.

Check out the replays and results from All Aged Stakes Day at Royal Randwick