Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Auction house Inglis made an early move last year to sign the Gordon Richards-trained Gytrash as its representative in The Everest and has followed the same path to have the Morphettville ace as its flag-bearer in the October 16 feature.
Gytrash did all concerned proud in his first attempt at Randwick when he began a touch slowly after a wait in the barrier before powering home to finish third and collect a healthy $1.3 million pay-out for his exertions.
“We still think from an Everest perspective that he is the right horse for us. We very much feel there is unfinished business, that is really a key motivator,” Inglis Managing Director, Mark Webster, said.
Watch: Gytrash is back for another Everest tilt
“We are more than happy to go on the ride again with the connections. From an Inglis perspective, we do try and pick a horse when we can, which may not otherwise have got a start in the race.
“We prefer horses with bigger syndicates, it’s more fun and we can tell our story a little bit more to a wider audience about getting involved as a racehorse owner. There are lots of positive angles for us and we’re happy to run again.”
“We prefer horses with bigger syndicates, it’s more fun and we can tell our story a little bit more to a wider audience about getting involved as a racehorse owner.” – Mark Webster
Gytrash’s compelling credentials aside, the fun factor of last year’s Everest experience was another key factor in siding with the team again.
“After last year’s effort we were really pleased and I look at him and see a horse that has held his form. He’s only been out of the top three on two occasions and both of those were at Group 1 level and one was through bad luck,” Webster said.
“Gordon and his wife Jacqui, who is the Managing Owner, and a truckload of owners came over from Adelaide last year and were great company and stayed at our hotel. We had a celebration party back at Riverside in the big barn afterwards.
“That was a big night and we all get along well and I would love those owners to win The Everest, it would mean so much to them and to Gordon.”
Gordon Richards
It also won’t be a journey into the unknown for Richards, who had never been to Randwick before the 2020 The Everest.
“You can’t overlook how big a challenge it was for them last year, completely unfamiliar. This year, they are all coming into it with a better understanding of what needs to be done,” Webster said.
Second chance embraced
The Inglis connection sits comfortably with Richards, who is looking forward to the opportunity to again take aim at the world’s richest race on turf.
“All the owners and myself are pretty stoked about the news and it worked well last time,” he said. “He certainly deserves another crack at The Everest.”
“All the owners and myself are pretty stoked about the news and it worked well last time. He (Gytrash) certainly deserves another crack at The Everest.” - Gordon Richards
Gytrash made an impressive fist of his first attempt in 2020 when he overcame a tardy start to steam home for third behind Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) and the now Darley resident Bivouac.
“He was in the gates for a while and he can get a bit edgy and was a little bit slowly away. The two leaders went last week’s pay and he did get home strongly for third,” Richards said.
“I don’t think he could have caught the winner, he was brilliant, but he was doing the best work of any horse on the line.”
Gytrash after winning the $1 million Yes Yes Yes S. at Rosehill | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Gytrash comfortably won the $1 million Yes Yes Yes S. at Rosehill a fortnight after The Everest and was then given a good break.
He returned to finish third in last month’s G1 The Goodwood at Morphettville before striking trouble in the running when out of the picture in the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup at Eagle Farm.
“He’s spelling up at Hawkesbury now and he’ll be back in work on July 1 and it will be full steam ahead,” Richards said.
Lead-up program tweaked
Gytrash won the G3 Concorde S. at Randwick at the expense of Nature Strip (Nicconi) ahead of his The Everest placing and Richards has decided on a change in program this time around.
“He will bypass the Concorde, that was six weeks into The Everest last time so he’ll run in the G2 The Shorts and that will then be a month into The Everest,” he said.
Gytrash was originally offered at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale by Glastonbury Farms and purchased by New Zealander John Corcoran for $70,000.
When presented at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale by Maluka Thoroughbreds he was snapped up by Richards for $40,000 with the chestnut’s earnings now more than $3.2 million.
Gytrash as a yearling
Gytrash is the fourth runner confirmed for The Everest with Nature Strip selected by Chris Waller Racing, Masked Crusader (Toronado {Ire}) has been locked in by the Max Whitby/Neil Werrett partnership and Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) by TAB.
It is also highly likely that defending champion Classique Legend will run in the slot held by his owner Bon Ho.
| Chris Waller Racing | Nature Strip |
| Max Whitby/Neil Werrett | Masked Crusader |
| TAB | Lost And Running |
| Inglis | Gytrash |
Table: The Everest slotholder runners for 2021
