Group One Lightning Stakes winner Gytrash has become the third horse to secure a slot in the $15 million The Everest, joining Nature Strip and Classique Legend.
Trained at Morphettville by Gordon Richards, the five-year-old has been confirmed to represent sales company Inglis.
One of the country’s most improved sprinters, Gytrash has won eight of his 19 starts and holds a decision over The Everest favourite Nature Strip, who he relegated to fourth in the Lightning.
In confirming Gytrash for their Everest slot on Friday, Inglis managing director Mark Webster said the horse had all the credentials they wanted.
“Gytrash ticks all the boxes. He’s proven at the top level, his on-speed racing pattern is favourable, he’s proven on both dry and wet tracks and in 19 career starts he’s only been out of the top three once,” Webster said.
“He really has become a giant killer of racing, you only need to look at the scalps he accrued during his autumn campaign to see that on his day, he is at the very least every bit as good as the other leading sprinters around.
“He’s a lightly-raced five-year-old who we believe is the best up-and-coming sprinter in the country and we can’t wait for these next two months as we target the Everest with Gordon Richards and Gytrash’s connections.”
Gytrash has not raced since he was edged out by Trekking in the Group One Goodwood at Morphettville in May.
He will have an exhibition gallop at Morphettville on Saturday and is expected to arrive in Sydney early next week ahead of his likely resumption in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on September 5.
Richards has no doubt Gytrash can measure up to the country’s elite sprinters in The Everest.
“This horse has been underrated his entire career but he couldn’t have done much more in the autumn especially to prove he’s the real deal and he absolutely deserves his spot in the Everest because there is zero doubt that he’s in the best handful of sprinters in Australia, let alone in the top 12,” Richards said.
Nine slots remain up for grabs in The Everest (1200m), which will be held at Randwick on October 17.
Gytrash was a $15 chance with Sportsbet in The Everest market prior to the news being announced.
