Sprinter Gytrash put on a star turn, as did his trainer, while a stack of emerging three-year-old fillies paraded their credentials for Group 1 glory next month at Saturday’s exciting Morphettville program.
The buzz created by Gytrash in the Group 3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) rippled across Australia, as Gordon Richards’ stable star blitzed the field to win easily, despite travelling wide without cover throughout the race.
Gytrash looks on track for SA’s most prestigious race, the Group 1 Furphy Goodwood (1200m) on May 16. Among those in Gytrash’s wake was runner-up Sunlight, who will benefit from the hit out heading towards the Group 1 TAB Classic (Sangster Stakes) over 1200m on May 2, then the Goodwood a fortnight later.
Richards’ other star performer was three-year-old Garner, who was back to his scintillating best in taking out the Listed Redelva Stakes (1100m). It was a Black Type double for jockey Jason Holder, who rode Gytrash in the previous race, and a treble for Richards, who saddled up the consistent Roselli Sting to win race 3 earlier in the day.
Like his stablemate Gytrash, Garner is also likely to be play a key role in the 2020 Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival (May 2 to 16).
The Group 3 Schweppervescence Stakes (registered as the Auraria Stakes) over 1800m was the other Black Type event on the program and it proved a fascinating renewal, generating plenty of plotlines heading toward Adelaide’s two Group 1 staying events for fillies next month.
Silent Sovereign was a first-up blackbooker and – aided by a perfect ride from Barend Vorster – went right on with the job on Saturday to score a decisive win for the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable. The grey filly will now progress to the Schweppes Oaks (Australasian Oaks) on May 2, along with a sizeable chunk of the Auraria field.
Making the Australasian Oaks picture even more crowded, Saturday’s race contained a number of excellent performances outside the winner, including runner-up Selica (trained by Phillip Stokes), Realm of Flowers (Anthony Freedman) and Walking Flying (Hayes, Hayes and Dabernig), while Vegas Jewel (Mark Kavanagh) had zero luck up the Morphettville straight.
Other highlights on Saturday’s program included another impressive win for Mum’s My Hero (freshened after his Adelaide Cup day win), a sixth straight success for One More Jack, and 100/1 bolter Love From Lucy getting the chocolates in race 4.
In addition, jockey Todd Pannell showed he had fully recovered from his fall the previous week, wasting little time getting back on the winners list with stayer Franked in race 2.
