Sale double for Douglas ahead of trip north
Trainer Clayton Douglas has picked up a little travelling money for his upcoming trip to Queensland to check on stable star Giga Kick with a race-to-race double at Sale.
The Everest winner and last start Doomben 10,000 victor is currently spelling in the warmer climate in Queensland ahead of being prepared for a spring campaign.
Douglas is heading to Brisbane on a hit-and-run mission on Thursday before returning to Melbourne to saddle Acappella Moon in the Ladbrokes Racing Club Handicap (1000m) at Sandown on Saturday.
The two winners at Sale on Wednesday came in the longest race of the day – the Ladbrokes Racing Club Handicap (1000m) with Sound Of Cannon prevailing late while Epic Centre led throughout to claim the Ladbrokes Live Betting Handicap (1000m).
Epic Centre ran out a two-length winner in the benchmark 70 contest and ran slick time, just 0.44 seconds outside of the course record.
Winning jockey Jake Noonan said Douglas and his staff had done a tremendous job with the sprinter who was able to maintain a solid gallop.
"I didn't do anything, I just sat there on autopilot," Noonan told racing.com.
"He's very quick, but he uses that to his advantage, and he is a credit to Clayton and his team.
"The horse looks fantastic. He hasn't lost a nick of condition and keeping him at these 1000-metre trips and letting him do his thing has really worked in his favour.
"He was tough when I needed him as he was up in grade again today and he's delivered as it is a tough ask leading throughout here at Sale.
"He's been in front for a long way, but he can maintain a gallop, a quick gallop.
"I don't know if he will run much further than 1000 metres, but he doesn't need to."
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