Michael Kent Jnr is optimistic that Think Giant will eventually participate in races beyond the scope of this Saturday’s event at Caulfield, viewing it as a suitable initial step.
The imported four-year-old gelding is scheduled to make his Australian racing debut in the $130,000 benchmark 78 contest over 1700 metres.
This will be the Lope De Vega gelding’s first race since finishing fourth in a Group 1 event at Cologne in September of the previous year, and Kent is eager to witness the unfolding of his career in the Southern Hemisphere.
“He’s lovely, scopey horse who is far from the finished product,” Kent commented.
“He’s 16.2 (hands) and all leg and I think he’ll keep filling out over the next 12 months or so.”
“Like all of the imports, we’re not forcing him, we just want to let him come to hand naturally and expect that he’ll get better for the prep and be better next preparation.”
Think Giant was acquired in partnership with OTI for €280,000 (approximately AU$457,000) at The Arc Sale at Arqana in France, following his fourth-place finish behind Sibayan in the Preis Von Europa (2400m).
This performance was preceded by a third placing over 2400m at Listed level in France, his second Black Type placing, after securing a runner-up position over 1600m at Group 3 level in Germany as a two-year-old.
Kent elaborated that Think Giant required a period of acclimatisation, but a stint with Steven Pateman at Thirteenth Beach proved instrumental in his settling, and he and co-trainer Mick Price have observed a substantial transformation in recent weeks.
“It’s been the last five weeks really where he’s just got it,” Kent remarked.
“Now he walks out of the barn and he walks home, whereas he used to jig-jog everywhere.”
“He’s a real stayer, but he’s going the right way finally.”
Think Giant’s preparations have included two successful Cranbourne jumpouts, the first over 1200m and the second over 1400m, which Kent found encouraging.
“We haven’t tuned him up for a first up win or anything like that, we’ve just brought him along gently and let everything happen naturally for him,” he explained.
“I don’t think the trials he won at Cranbourne were particularly strong, but he stayed on well on wet ground.”
“He’ll get back and then run on, but I think he’ll be looking for 2000 metres pretty quickly and we have got a bit of weight there on Saturday as well.”
Think Giant is set to carry 61kg at Caulfield, with Tom Stockdale taking the reins. Consider the prominent online bookmakers for this Caulfield race.