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By Ray Hickson

There’s no doubts from trainer Mick Price that star three-year-old Jacquinot is good enough to find himself in the finish of Saturday’s TAB Everest but he has one question lingering.

Trainer Mick Price (Pic: Grant Guy)

Giga Kick’s trainer Clayton Douglas says his unbeaten horse is versatile enough to cope with anything that unfolds in the race but doesn’t yet know where he stands class wise.

They are the three-year-olds in the $15 million TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick and are out to emulate Yes Yes Yes from three years ago and beat the older horses.

That one concern Price has about Golden Rose winner Jacquinot surrounds the track condition given he’s never seen a Randwick heavy – his only exposure so far has been his sixth in the Golden Slipper at Rosehill earlier this year and at trackwork on the same course.

“The biggest problem will be, I think, handling the ground,’’ Price said.

“I know we have reasonable weather but it’s quite a sodden surface and that would be my biggest fear.

“That’s an unknown in my opinion given the nature of the Randwick heavy track. It’s a particular type of heavy, a very deep heavy, that is my concern.”

Jacquinot, $10 with TAB on Thursday, reeled off some impressive sectionals in winning the Golden Rose (1400m) three weeks ago and Price, who co-trains with Michael Kent Jnr, said so far he’s passed every test.

The colt ran clearly the fastest last 600m (33.61, Punter’s Intelligence) in the three-year-old Group 1 and Price is “hoping not thinking” the Everest will be truly run.

“He’s improved from his two-year-old year into his three-year-old year which is why you see good form from him,’’ he said.

“He’d never been to the 1400m, you saw a very good run and he was very good at Caulfield first-up.

"I'm hoping not thinking (they overdo it). They are good jockeys and good horses and they know what they are doing.

"If you need a strong 1200m he’s going to run a strong 1200m because he ran a strong 1400m.”

Price had no hesitation in setting Jacquinot for the Everest after his Group 1 win, such is the standing the race has earned in its five years to date, and connections quickly accepted the Coolmore slot.

“I think if you put in front of any owner the opportunity to run in the Everest when your horse is going well no-one will knock it back,’’ he said.

“If you get a run in the race it’s considered a victory. As it did with Yes Yes Yes (a win) would elevate his stud potential.”

Stud isn’t in Giga Kick’s future but the gelding’s trainer Clayton Douglas is adamant there’s a big career ahead of him on the track after kicking off with four wins on the bounce.

While his fourth win was a narrow one in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington he said the horse was vulnerable with a gap between runs and that win has tightened his charge right up.

“There’s probably no ceiling on him at the moment,’’ he said.

“He’s done really well since he’s arrived in Sydney and I’m happy with how he is.

Jacquinot wins the Golden Rose

“He’s been the bombproof horse up until now and hopefully he can take it to race number five and be hard to beat in the Everest.”

Douglas worked Giga Kick, $21 with TAB, on the Randwick course proper earlier in the week and doesn’t have too many concerns about the ground, it’s more the challenge of beating Nature Strip and company.

But he says versatility is something that Giga Kick, who races in the James Harron slot, can use from a favourable barrier.

“He’s a winner this horse, every time I’ve asked him to do something he’s stepped up to the plate,’’ he said.

“We’ve been able to ride him back off the speed, he’s been able to pounce and win, we’ve been able to ride the speed and he’s sustained a strong gallop.

“If a couple of those big boys are having an off day and we’re on song with 53kg on his back I’m sure they’re going to know he’s there.”

All the fields, form and replays for TAB Everest Day at Randwick