Gytrash (horse)


Gytrash is an Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred racehorse trained by Gordon Richards at Morphettville in South Australia. He is named after the legendary spirit of English folklore, the Gytrash that is said to take form of a horse, mule or dog.

Background

Gytrash was bred by Packaging Investments Australia, Haltrow and Glastonbury Farms. He was first offered for sale as a weanling at the Great Southern Sale in 2016, where he was sold for $70,000.
“He was always a lovely type as a weanling, a big, strong chestnut just as he is now and for a Lope De Vega to make $70,000 as a weanling back then, he really did stand out in that sale,’’ Glastonbury’s Duncan Grimley said.
Gytrash was then offered at the 2017 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale where he was purchased by his trainer Gordon Richards for $40,000.

Racing career

After a number of wins at Metropolitan level, he placed 3rd in the Group 2 Euclase Stakes, prior to competing at Group 1 level in The Goodwood. He then won back to back races down the Flemington Straight, the second of which earning him his first black-type race in the Listed Creswick Stakes
, and a highly credible 2nd in the Group 3 The Heath 1100, earning high regard from jockey Craig Williams.
This was followed by a short layoff to recover from a minor injury and missing the end of a spring 2019 campaign.
Gytrash resumed racing as a four year-old after a 6 month spell in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning. Starting at odds of 20/1, he won by 1 length in a race which included champion sprinters Redzel and Nature Strip.
Continuing his good Autumn form, he ran a credible 3rd in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap carrying top weight, then delivered a 2nd place behind Loving Gaby in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley under lights with no spectators due to the start of the Coronavirus lockdowns in Australia.
Returning home to Adelaide for the Autumn Carnival, he defeated multiple Group 1 winning mare Sunlight in the Group 3 R. N. Irwin Stakes by over 3 lengths in the lead up to the Group 1 The Goodwood, in which he was narrowly beaten by Trekking and finished 2nd.

Race record

ResultDateRaceVenueGroupDistanceWeight JockeyWinner/2nd
2-708 Sep 2018Morphettville Racecourse3yo BM641100 m59.0A. Jordsjo1-Golden Halo 1:05.59
2-922 Sep 2018Caulfield Racecourse3yo Set Weights & Penalties1000 m56.0L. Nolen1-Written By 0:57.59
3-920 Oct 2018Morphettville Racecourse3yo Handicap1200 m57.0A. Jordsjo1-Schilldora 1:10.25
1-1113 Apr 2019Morphettville RacecourseBM821050 m54.0D. Tourneur2-Carlingford 1:00.46
1-1127 Apr 2019Morphettville ParksBM821000 m56.0J. Kah2-Illumicon 0:57.47
3-1304 May 2019Euclase StakesMorphettville RacecourseGroup 21200 m57.5D. Tourneur1-Valour Road 1:10.04
10-1618 May 2019The GoodwoodMorphettville RacecourseGroup 11200 m53.0D. Tourneur1-Despatch 1:09.30
1-808 Jun 2019Flemington Racecourse3yo Handicap1000 m53.0F. Kersley2 Halvoresen 0:58.07
1-1122 Jun 2019Creswick StakesFlemington RacecourseListed1200 m59.0C. Williams2 Golden Halo 1:11.40

ResultDateRaceVenueGroupDistanceWeight JockeyWinner/2nd
2-831 Aug 2019The Heath 1100Caulfield RacecourseGroup 31100 m56.0C. Williams1-Crystal Dreamer 1:03.41
1-715 Feb 2020Black Caviar LightningFlemington RacecourseGroup 11000 m58.5M. Zahra2-Redzel 57.53
3-117 Mar 2020Newmarket HandicapFlemington RacecourseGroup 11200 m57.0B. Melham1-Bivouac 1:09.21
2-1120 Mar 2020William Reid StakesMoonee Valley RacecourseGroup 11200 m58.5M. Zahra1-Loving Gaby 1:09.44
1-918 Apr 2020R N Irwin StakesMorphettville RacecourseGroup 31100 m58.5J. Holder2-Sunlight 1:04.31
2-1416 May 2020The GoodwoodMorphettville RacecourseGroup 11200 m58.5J. Holder1-Trekking 1:10.38

Pedigree