Before they were famous: Gytrash

In this series TDN AusNZ will take a look at Group 1 runners before they were successful on the racetrack; speaking to breeders, breakers and trainers on their formative years. Today, we take a look at Inglis’ runner for The Everest, Gytrash.

Gytrash

Lope De Vega (Ire) x Miss Barley (Fastnet Rock)

Winner - G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. 1000m

Winner - G3 R N Irwin S. 1100m

Placegetter - G1 The Furphy Goodwood 1200m

Placegetter - G1 Keogh Homes William Reid S. 1200m

Placegetter - G1 Seppelt Wines Newmarket H. 1200m

TDN AusNZ: This was Miss Barley’s fourth foal, what was the foaling down like?

Yvonne Clerke, Glastonbury Farm: Completely normal, although she was two weeks overdue.

TDN AusNZ: What was Gytrash like as a foal?

YC: He was a good size, leggy foal with a good shoulder and girth.

TDN AusNZ: What was he like as a weanling, did he display any early personality traits or mannerisms?

YC: He was nice and strong, very willing and a quick learner.

TDN AusNZ: What was Gytrash like through his weanling preparation and handling?

YC: Outstanding, he was no trouble at all.

TDN AusNZ: Could you foresee his success from early on?

YC: The stallion wasn’t going that well in Australia at the time and he was such a nice foal/weanling that we decided to sell him early rather than going onto a yearling sale.

Gallery: Gytrash as a foal

TDN AusNZ: What was Gytrash like through his yearling prep?

Luke Anderson, Maluka Thoroughbreds: He was a big, tough bugger who licked his bowl clean, he settled into the stable routine well, but didn’t mind trying to throw his weight around. He certainly wasn’t a problem - just one of those colts you wouldn’t send a young kid in with.

TDN AusNZ: Could you describe his personality? Did he have any standout traits or mannerisms?

LA: He was assertive and confident and had a great constitution. He was well handled as he had done a weanling prep in NSW, then came down and was sold at the Inglis Premier Weanling Sale - travelled to New Zealand where he was then raised by his owners Mark and John Corcoran at Grangewilliam Stud, and then travelled back to us in Victoria to be offered again at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

There wasn’t too much wrong with his ego, but he was pretty typical of a lot of yearling colts who rate themselves pretty highly!

TDN AusNZ: Could you foresee his career unfolding as it has?

LA: We always thought he had a great physical presence and looked like a big tough boy. He acted and looked like a racehorse, but it's a dream to see him get to these lofty heights. We had two Group 1 winners out of the Premier draft that year, he and Seabrook (NZ) (Hinchinbrook), out of the 24 we presented.

TDN AusNZ: How do you think he will perform in The Everest?

LA: I think Gordon (Richards, trainer) has managed Gytrash brilliantly. He has set him for this from a long way out and he has secured a spot early in the negotiations. I think Inglis have made a great decision in being in the 'Giant Killer’s' corner. He is honest as the day is long and I’ve taken the $11 on offer.

The sales company

TDN AusNZ: What was it about Gytrash that first struck you as a yearling?

Simon Vivian, Inglis: We had the privilege of selling Gytrash twice. The first time as a weanling in 2016 for Glastonbury Farm and the second time in 2017 at the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for Maluka Thoroughbreds, as agent for John Corcoran from New Zealand.

He changed significantly in those nine months, progressing from a raw and slightly plain weanling into an attractive, athletic yearling.

TDN AusNZ: Can you please describe him physically and explain why he was selected for the Premier Yearling Sale?

SV: Being an August foal, he always had plenty of size and substance, but by Wednesday, March 1, 2017 he had matured into a well-grown, masculine individual with an attractive head and eye.

He possessed a good body shape with an excellent shoulder and girth. His good walk and big nostrils were added features.

TDN AusNZ: Can you include any inspection notes?

SV: Interestingly, both sets of notes record him as being a little offset in his near knee, but, clearly, that hasn’t affected him in any way.

The market can be fickle at times and as a result, Gordon Richards got himself an unbelievable deal to be able to secure this horse as a yearling for just $40,000.

His two respective vendors, Glastonbury Farm and John Corcoran, can feel justifiably proud of their involvement in the early development of Gytrash, as can Maluka Thoroughbreds in Victoria.

Together with the Inglis team, we all wish Gordon Richards and his large ownership group much continued success and an Everest victory.

The trainer

TDN AusNZ: What was it about Gytrash that first struck you at the Sale? Can you please explain him physically as a yearling?

Gordon Richards: We weren’t actually out to buy a horse at the Sale, my wife saw him being paraded and he had a fair few parades while we were sitting there, so she got the catalogue out and looked up his pedigree. Being by Lope De Vega he put a spark in me straight away as I had a little bit of a rap for them and I thought they were pretty good horses so we decided to have a look at him.

We got him out and you know he was beautifully prepared. He looked great and he wasn’t overly big, but he wasn’t small, he was just a nice individual - nice and alert and a beautiful walker. We thought he may go a bit high for us, but we left instructions for a friend - as we were leaving the sales that day - to see if he could purchase him for around the $40,000 mark.

We were watching online and he got knocked down for $40,000 and it wasn’t until they had put the purchaser's name up that we had realised that we had actually got him, so we were very happy.

TDN AusNZ: Could you share any breakers comments and were there any key traits you saw in him that made him stand out from others? What was your first impression of the horse?

GR: There was nothing extraordinary about him when he was getting broken in. He was a little bit of a handful, and the breaker did say the first thing you will do is give him the unkindest cut of all, so we did. But there was nothing extraordinary about him early on, he worked around all right and did most things right. He was a bit of a lad, but nothing bad.

TDN AusNZ: How soon did you see something ‘special’ in him?

GR: I think he had had a jump-out and it was okay, nothing super and even his first race going into it I thought he would go alright but not over the top. He sat two or three deep outside of the leader and battled on to run second, I thought that it was a really tough effort and something to hang your hat on, and I backed him up the following week actually and he duly won in his second start in a race. He won quite easily and after that we started to get higher opinions of him and set our sights a bit higher.

TDN AusNZ: Is he a team favourite?

GR: He certainly is, and I don't think it's because he's a Group 1 winner, I think it's because he's a bit of a character and is just a nice horse in the stable. He doesn't cause any fuss, he quite happily gets along with all of his neighbours and even though he can get a little bit above himself when you handle him over at the track, it's nothing out of the ordinary and he's not nasty in any way. So yes, he's definitely a favourite in the stable.

TDN AusNZ: Does he have a nickname?

GR: He’s called Lewis, only because when I send the horses up to the farm from the yearling sales usually a few arrive at once and to differentiate between each of them one of the girls on the farm usually names them by their sire's first letter. So naturally Lope De Vega, he got named Lewis and it stuck. You know sometimes those nicknames don't stick and you find another reason to call them something else, but that's his nickname and that's sticking.

TDN AusNZ: What has been his career highlight to date, aside from his selection in The Everest?

GR: Oh definitely winning the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. There were a lot of owners there that day and he was first-up from a spell and we were all full of ambition that that was going to be his preparation and to come out and knock off Redzel (Snitzel), Nature Strip (Nicconi), Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible), you know it wasn’t a big field but it was a star-studded one and to beat them that day was pretty exciting.