Punt Drunk: Giga Kick cops Kiss of Death!
Giddy up punters! Another stacked weekend of racing is fast-approaching and dare we say it, the best horse in the country is going around at Doomben.
Giga Kick headlines the action out of Doomben in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000, three-year-olds will duke it out in the Group 1 SA Derby and a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup awaits the Andrew Ramsden field at Flemington.
Giga Kick needs to overcome ‘feature piece’ kiss of death
For many a year, especially leading into the Melbourne Cup, any horse who has a featured piece in the local newspaper tends to lose a leg prior to the race.
This time, it is Giga Kick leading into the Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.
Having claimed The Everest in the spring and on the back of a demolition job in the All Aged Stakes, Giga Kick is an odds-on favourite for Saturday’s Group 1 sprint over 1200m.
However, the local newspaper in Queensland have him as the centrepiece for their preview for Saturday’s races.
Bring on Doomben 10,000 Day! 💪@emma_freedman and @katiebrownaus spent some time with leading contender Giga Kick earlier this week.
📸 @couriermail @Joshmaate pic.twitter.com/4A2BuXoxxd
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) May 12, 2023
We already think he is one of, if not the best horse in the country, but if the Group 1 superstar overcomes this sort of setback, then he sits atop the perch in our eyes.
Is he a certainty or has this put you off Giga Kick in Saturday’s Group 1?
Naughty Boy, John Allen
John Allen and South Australian Group 1 victories go together like peas and carrots some might say.
Fresh off claiming the Australasian Oaks and Robert Sangster Stakes in recent weeks, Allen has copped a 10-meeting suspension following a careless riding charge at Sandown on Wednesday.
Allen will partner High Approach from the Dan O’Sullivan barn in a bid to gain a record-breaking five win in Saturday’s SA Derby, but will miss the chance to partner Ruthless Dam in Saturday week’s Goodwood.
The gun hoop had partnered Ruthless Dame to an unlikely win in the Sangster last weekend, but will be watching on from the sidelines with his suspension starting on May 17.
What a nice guy, letting someone else grab a Group 1 in Adelaide for once.
Group 1 celebrations at Kilmore
There's no stopping Dad 😆@Surajsn1 pic.twitter.com/l4svuoKLDE
— Racing.com (@Racing) May 11, 2023
It isn’t very often that a maiden win at Kilmore causes much excitement, but when Suraj Narredu booted home his first Australian winner on Thursday, his family celebrated like he had just won the Melbourne Cup.
A winner of over 2300 races back home, Narredu was picked up by his elated father Satish upon dismount, a celebration that would often occur following his feature race wins in India.
It was 16th time the charm for Narredu who got his Australian maiden out of the way some 14 hours away from his home country.
About Punt Drunk
Welcome to Punt Drunk – our daily column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump…
