The clash between star sprinters Gytrash and Sunlight in tomorrow’s Group 3 Furphy Irwin Stakes marks the unofficial start of the 2020 Adelaide Autumn Racing Carnival.
Though the carnival’s Group 1 days begin on Saturday, May 2, tomorrow’s racing – particularly the 1100m Irwin Stakes – oozes class.
The reappearance of the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Sunlight in South Australia is a clear highlight. The star sprinter has trialled up in her home state and will be first-up tomorrow after her brave second in the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 2.
The three-time Group 1 winner, who has amassed $6.5 million in prizemoney, is being aimed at the TAB Classic (Sangster Stakes)-Goodwood sprint double at Morphettville next month, and as such might have some room for improvement going into tomorrow’s race.
Her main rival – particularly in the betting – will be Morphettville trainer Gordon Richards’ stable star, Gytrash.
Over the past 12 months Gytrash has elevated himself to the top echelon of Australian sprinters, highlighted by a win in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes over 1000m at Flemington in February. The four-year-old gelding raced twice in Victoria during March, for a third in the Group 1 Newmarket (1200m) and a second in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes, and looks hard to roll tomorrow.
However, locally trained Kemalpasa is not without a chance of upsetting predictions of a Sunlight-Gytrash match race.
Like Gytrash, Kemalpasa came of age in the second half of 2019, progressing from a benchmark 70 event at Gawler to taking out a Group 2 sprint at Flemington on VRC Derby Day.
A one-race cameo in January resulted in an excellent fourth in the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint over 1200m on the Gold Coast. Trained by Richard and Chantelle Jolly, Kemalpasa trialled exceptionally well in Adelaide behind Sunlight last week.
A pair of James Cummings-trained horses could be the query runners in the field.
The talented Viridine has shown great promise throughout his career, which includes four wins at Black Type level and three wins at 1100m, while stablemate Home of the Brave – who raced overseas before arriving in Australia – boasts a win over Trapeze Artist in Sydney over 1300m.
Will Clarken-trained Parsifal is also aiming at the Goodwood and could improve significantly tomorrow, after racing wide on a heavy track at Caulfield last start.
Selections: 1. Gytrash; 2. Kemalpasa; 3. Sunlight; 4. Parsifal.
