Caulfield to host Think Giant's Australian racing debut

Trainer Michael Kent Jnr is optimistic that Think Giant will eventually contest more significant races than the one slated for this Saturday at Caulfield, considering it a suitable initiation.

The four-year-old import is poised to make his debut on Australian soil in the $130,000 benchmark 78 event contested over 1700 metres.

This will be the Lope De Vega gelding's first start since a commendable fourth-place finish in a Group 1 race at Cologne in September last year, and Kent is keen to see the progression 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 procured in partnership with OTI for €280,000 (around AU$457,000) from The Arc Sale at Arqana in France, following his fourth-place finish behind Sibayan in the Preis Von Europa (2400m).

This performance came after a third placing over 2400m at Listed level in France, his second Black Type placing, having previously secured a runner-up finish over 1600m at Group 3 level in Germany as a two-year-old.

Kent indicated that Think Giant took some time to adjust to his new surroundings, but a spell with Steven Pateman at Thirteenth Beach proved beneficial for his acclimatisation, and he and co-trainer Mick Price have observed a marked improvement recently.

"It's been the last five weeks really where he's just got it," Kent observed.

"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 preparation has included two wins in Cranbourne jumpouts, the initial over 1200m and the subsequent 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 advised.

"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."

At Caulfield, Think Giant is slated to carry 61kg and will be partnered by jockey Tom Stockdale. Check out the top Australian betting sites for the latest racing odds.