Star SA sprinter Gytrash enjoyed “a day at the races” at Warwick Farm this afternoon, while his trainer mused on the opposition in Saturday week’s $15 million TAB Everest (1200m).
Piloted by Everest jockey Jason Collett, Gytrash galloped between races with local trainer Clare Cunningham’s Noble Boy, and barely raised a sweat in an impressive workout ahead of the world’s richest turf race.
Morphettville trainer Gordon Richards suggested the Group 1 winner would have his final pre-Everest hit-out at the same venue next Tuesday.
“He does it pretty well,” Richards told SKY Racing immediately after the gallop.
“I think he knows when it’s a track gallop and when it’s a race…”
Gytrash’s first Sydney run was an emphatic win in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) on September 5, when one-time Everest favourite Nature Strip was among those left in his wake.
Richards admitted he checked out last weekend’s performances of several Everest rivals, including Libertini, who rocketed into calculations with a stunning first-up win in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
“Libertini was really good…” he said.
“I thought the grey horse (Classique Legend) was a really good run for a beaten horse, he had no luck.
“And Libertini had a nice suck run behind the leaders, which went pretty quick and the time was good.”
Richards also cast an eye over the runs of Everest pair Santa Ana Lane and Tofane in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes down the 1200m Flemington straight.
“The two in Melbourne, it’s hard to take much out of that,” he said.
“The Gilgai (is) run down the straight (and) they’re hard races to work out what’s happening.
“But hey, they’ll be there, there’ll be some good ones up there (in The Everest).”
Collett was also pleased with the hit-out against Noble Boy.
“He (Gytrash) has more ability than most,” Collett said. “He’s very laidback, casual. He only does what he has to.
“We’re happy.”
Gytrash is currently staying in Cunningham’s stables.
