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By Ray Hickson

Three years ago James Harron gambled on an up and coming sprinter with ‘X-Factor’ as his TAB Everest runner and in 2022 he’s charged unbeaten three-year-old Giga Kick with the job of bringing down that one time ‘up and comer’ who is now the world’s best sprinter.

James Harron (Pic: Bradley Photos).

It’s an interesting twist on Harron’s selection of his TAB Everest runner that he has to find a horse to be competitive with Nature Strip, who ran fourth in his slot in 2019.

The unbeaten Clayton Douglas-trained Giga Kick, who made it four from four winning the Group Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington last weekend, had been on Harron’s radar since his first-up win in August and believes the gelding brings a new angle to the $15 million race.

“We’ve seen how well three-year-olds have performed in the race over the years and we were looking for a bit of that left of centre and that bit of X-Factor,’’ Harron said.

“He’s an unbeaten gelding, very versatile in his running style and handles all different ground surfaces. We were really pleased to get him.

“I feel like we didn’t learn much new from the Premiere, they finished close together, and it’s good to throw something different into the mix.

“Nature Strip is clearly the one to beat and then after that it’s quite open.

“We had him in our slot one year when he drew the car park and ran fourth. From a racing purist point of view he’s a wonderful horse to watch and he did Australia proud at Royal Ascot.”

Harron won the inaugural TAB Everest as the slot holder who selected Redzel and he made that move a month out from the race.

He said despite Giga Kick’s narrow win in the Danehill he felt it had plenty of merit and is buoyed by jockey Craig Williams deciding to partner the horse at Royal Randwick.

“He obviously didn’t win by far but the time was very good and he had a freshen up and was coming off just one trial,’’ Harron said.

“He will be better having something to chase, he got there quite soon and was a bit of a sitting duck but was good enough to hold on. I was probably expecting him to win by a bit further but the way the race shape was I thought he did enough.

“You just don’t know what (three-year-olds) are going to bring. He’s got the 53kg on his back, he hasn’t been in the tough lead up races and I’d imagine he came through that run beating his chest and feeling good.”

Giga Kick is the second three-year-old to take on the hard heads in 2022, joining Golden Rose winner Jacquinot in the field. So far six three-year-olds have tackled the TAB Everest.

Tulip ran fifth, Houtzen seventh and She Will Reign 11th in the inaugural edition, Graff fifth in 2018, of course Yes Yes Yes won in 2019 and Home Affairs ran ninth in 2021.

Trainer Clayton Douglas said on Melbourne radio on Tuesday morning it’s exciting to have a TAB Everest runner just under 18 months since taking on training full-time.

“To think a small stable like mine can have an exciting sprinter like this and to be able to take on the richest race on turf, and with a really live hope,’’ he said on RSN.

✅ Four from four for GIGA KICK! pic.twitter.com/StDKvnkAed

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 1, 2022

“Yes Yes Yes was able to win an Everest and Home Affairs ran well and came back to win a Coolmore. He’s done very well, he’s matured as a horse and he’s mentally ready for the task ahead.”

The former jockey started training with a couple of horses in August 2020 while he was still riding and said Giga Kick has plenty of improvement to come after that fighting win.

“This horse is a very versatile horse, he’s won on soft ground and on dry ground,’’ he said.

“I felt the horse is going to really improve off that run, even not at his top he was still able to break a class record and only ran half a second off a course record.

“He’s on an upward spiral and the horse is coming along nicely. The run has brought him on really lovely.

“I feel like he’s a bombproof sort of horse, he’s got a great attitude, he’s the right horse to go and acquit himself well.”

Giga Kick entered the market at $26 with TAB, two slots remain to be filled after Inglis lost Snapdancer to injury while Godolphin is still to confirm its runner.

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