Mighty Giant by name and performance by Kristen Manning

​Mighty by name and by talent is the exciting Hong Kong galloper Mighty Giant who is Group One bound on the back of a stellar run of form for the Ricky Yiu stable.

Taking a couple of runs to find his feet when first arriving at Shatin from New Zealand, the son of Oaklands Stud's emerging stallion Power was unplaced off a wide run at his debut 12 months ago.

But he quickly learned what it was all about, catching the eye with a fast-finishing second a month later and at start number three breaking through with a gutsy win over 1400m. Another second followed three weeks later since then he has proven very hard to beat.

Unbeatable in fact, Mighty Giant not tasting defeat in five outings since February this year, rising through the classes with he and Zac Purton proving to be a powerful combination.

February 16 was the start of the winning run, Mighty Giant striking forward from an outside gate to sit outside the leader, dashing clear from the 250m. A month later he took the lead despite finding early trouble and was always in control. And at his last run before a break he was again a dominant winner.

Kicking off his current campaign with a determined victory from a wide gate, Mighty Giant was again too good second up... and now tougher tests await with the flashy chestnut due to take his place in this weekend's Gr.2 Jockey Club Mile.

And from there the International races in December beckon for Mighty Giant, a horse Zac Purton has described as "an honest who gets up there, makes own luck and fights... he is a winner!"

Ricky Yiu agrees.. "he takes his races so easily. He is a lovely horse to train, he has never put one step wrong."

​Making his way to Hong Kong on the back of two impressive trial victories in August 2018, Mighty Giant is the best foal produced by the lightly raced Ustinov mare Wanderov whose dam Caranti is a half-sister to the durable Listed winner Bonded.

He hails from the second crop of Power who made the move to Oaklands Stud two years ago and it is from his sire that he has inherited his winning determination.

The winner of five of his nine starts, the imposing Power was successful at the elite level at two and three, taking out the National Stakes and the Irish 1000 Guineas. Also winning the prestigious Coventry Stakes and finishing game seconds in another two Group One contests, he was both fast and classy.

New Zealand's Champion First Season Sire, Power has already sired 14 stakes winners and Mighty Giant looks set to become the next!

What an interesting pedigree Mighty Giant has, his dam sire Ustinov being a son of the mighty Let's Elope, granddaughter of Blushing Groom whose Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Rainbow Quest is Power's second dam sire.

20% of Power's winners boast a cross of Blushing Groom, a great stallion who hails from the same prolific family as Mill Reef, second dam sire of Power's sire Oasis Dream. Let's Elope's sire Nassipour meanwhile is a member of the influential Mumtaz Mahal family, one that strongly influences Power's pedigree via strains of Mahmoud, Royal Charger and Nasrullah.

Mighty Giant's dam Wanderov carries a cross of the outstanding broodmare Malva via her Epsom Derby winning son Blenheim II and her great grandson Summertime... and Malva is ancestress of Power. What a family this has been over generations and Power hails from a particularly strong branch of it, his dam Frappe also producing the Group Two winners Curvy and Tahkafaat whilst her Group Three winning dam Glatisant is the dam of two Group One winners - Footstepsinthesand and Pedro The Great.
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Kristen Manning

Freelance racing & breeding journalist, photographer, pedigree analyst, breeder