The Aussie battler of the horse racing world, Giga Kick, is 4 races away from changing into the best prizemoney successful race horse of all time – not simply in Australia, however globally.
And the exceptional factor is that as a younger horse, the vets could not even get a catheter into him to assist ease the immense ache of a colic assault.
So he was put apart with the vets as his proprietor, Jonathan Munz, anticipated him to die that day. Munz even rang the coach who was to get the horse and instructed him that he can be euthanised.
However once they checked on him just a little later, needle in hand, there was a fiery look of willpower within the younger horse’s eye that gave them pause.
From demise mattress to a seat on the sport of kings’ desk: Giga Kick (quantity 12) is on observe to grow to be the best prizemoney earner in world historical past
In order that they stayed the proceedings for sooner or later. And 24 hours later, as if a miracle occurred, he was on his toes, having stared demise within the face as soon as from the colic, as soon as from the vet.
Since then, Giga Kick has gone on to grow to be a surprise racehorse, defying not simply demise, however his lowly pedigree too.
At simply three years of age he already sits ninth on the Australian All-Time Cash Incomes Record, which is headed by freak of nature Winx at $26.5million.
After retirement, Winx was inducted into the Australian Racing Corridor Of Fame.
She can also be the highest-earning thoroughbred of all time worldwide.
The surprise mare Winx (pictured) is the present highest prizemoney earner in racing historical past
Giga Kick has gained $9.6million up to now following his recreation Group 1 win in Brisbane final weekend. He might be despatched for a spell now and are available again with 4 targets in his sights and if he wins them, he climbs to the highest of the mountain.
They’re: the $300,000 McEwan Stakes, $1million Premier Stakes, $15million Everest (strongly rumoured to be value $20million this 12 months) and $8million Golden Eagle.
Being the very best horse in Australia means he’s the ruling favorite for all of them in the intervening time.
At the moment Giga Kick’s document is 10 begins, seven wins and two placings.
On the identical age Winx had a document of 10 begins, 4 wins, three placings for $636,500.
They after all are completely completely different racing horses as Winx may step out to 2200m whereas Giga Kick might battle previous 1400m.
All that apart, Giga Kick’s rise from a lowly-bred animal to potential document setter has been maybe the best rags to riches story in Australia’s storied racing previous.
Giga Kick’s younger coach Clayton Douglas with one of many horse’s successful riders, Jamie Kah, on the Oaks Dinner final November
His father, Scissor Kick, was so common as a stallion that he was bought off to a farm in Tunisia for pittance. There he serves just a few mares a 12 months.
As for the champ’s mom, Rekindled Applause, she additionally was lowly bred and in reality by no means even raced. When Scissor Kick coated her she was an 18-year-old, well beyond customary breeding age and in human phrases she would have been 60 years previous.
Giga Kick, subsequently, ought to by no means have been conceived, shouldn’t have survived the colic assault and when he did go to sale with a $20,000 reserve, his proprietor thought on the final second, no, why hassle, I am going to simply maintain him.
‘When it got here to the method of designating Jonathan’s yearlings, we received to the final one – he was about quantity 39 – and it was Giga Kick. Jonathan mentioned, ‘Give it to [Antony and Sam] Freedman to coach,’ and I mentioned, ‘They will not need a Scissor Kick’, mentioned Munz’s racing supervisor, Rod Douglas.
‘He then mentioned, effectively OK, what about Grahame Begg?’ and I mentioned the identical factor. I discussed Clayton Douglas and that’s the finish of the story, it was the primary horse Jonathan gave him.’
Clayton Douglas was solely new to the coaching ranks then at 27 years of age, and solely had a handful of common horses on his books. He thought the baldy-faced Giga Kick would slot in fairly properly.
And boy was he proper.
His very first begin was in a two-year-old maiden value simply $19,000 to the winner and, ridden by Jamie Kah, he took off from gate-rise and led them a merry dance to win by 4 lengths.
It had been a powerful debut however no-one may have seen what was to comply with and certainly will nonetheless unfold.
He raced once more as a two-year-old, this time at Flemington, which is a big rise in school from Sale and gained there by over a size.
Buoyed by this early sudden success, Douglas spelled himk, then introduced him again as an early three-year-old.
He gained two races inside his age group which means he was 4 from 4 when the world’s richest turf race, The Everest over 1200m at Randwick, loomed.
Proprietor Munz, a magnate who owns a stud farm and who just lately bought a Toorak mansion for $14million, instructed Douglas to have a throw on the stumps.
Regardless of being unbeaten, his wins have been in restricted firm and nowhere close to worthy of being in the identical class as say the favorite in The Everest, Nature Strip who had been to England earlier within the 12 months, trounced Europe’s finest there and got here house rated the quickest sprinter on the planet.
So Giga Kick was an outsider. ‘His wins have been in weaker races however he was working very quick occasions late in his races so we had a shy on the stumps. For that cash, who would not?’ mentioned Douglas.
Craig Williams and Giga Kick (each pictured) have shaped an unbeatable mixture and can each attempt to shatter the world prizemoney complete this 12 months
The famous person speedsters took off and he trailed behind till they turned for house. Calling on his late-race rallying prowess he swooped and coming with a stunning burst of velocity late he claimed Nature Avenue and the remainder of the sector close to house and gained.
He might be a 12 months older, stronger, more durable and sooner when The Everest comes round this October.
Prior to now 12 months Munz has prolonged his holding with younger coach Douglas and he has 4 within the secure.
‘It is nonetheless laborious to imagine that is all taking place,’ mentioned Douglas.
‘He fairly simply may have gone via the Scone sale and it will have modified somebody’s life, some little bloke would have gotten him for beneath $20,000.
‘And that is usually Jonathan’s method. He often sells geldings and Giga Kick is a gelding.’
If Phar Lap and Seabiscuit and Secretariat can have their journeys on the observe changed into a film, certainly Giga Kick can qualify ought to he bypass all of them on the prizemoney checklist later this 12 months.
