South Australia’s Goldrush Guru shines in Derby
South Australian raider Goldrush Guru (American Pharoah) etched his name into the history books when he proved too good for his rivals in Saturday’s Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
Having made continuous progress since running third on debut in a 1050-metre maiden at Balaklava in April, including back-to-back wins at Morphettville, headed by a last-start success in the Hill Smith Stakes (Listed, 1800m), the Andrew Gluyas-trained colt had the services of Jamie Kah in the saddle for the first time as he took the step into Group 1 level.
Sent off as one of the market principals at $8, Goldrush Guru hit the front with over 400 metres to run and silenced any stamina doubts his connections held ahead of the time-honoured 2500-metre event, as he kept on well to beat Scary (Shocking) by a decisive 1.5 lengths.
There was a further 0.5-length gap back to the third-placed China Sea (Fastnet Rock).
Gluyas had previously trained in partnership with his now-retired father-in-law Leon Macdonald, who famously landed the VRC Derby with $101 shot Rebel Raider (Reset) in 2008, partnered that day by Clare Lindop, the first and until Saturday the only female rider to win Australia’s oldest race.
“We often talk about Derbies, Leon won the SA Derby with French Cotton and that’s the name for the French Cotton Lodge at home,” Gluyas said.
“We had a great run of horses running in the Derby and Gold Guru won the AJC Derby. Rebel Raider then stood up in ’08 and won the VRC Derby and then won our [SA] Derby.
“We had a few near misses with Hydrometer. It’s folklore. When we prepare them and you get a good result like this, it’s great that we can talk about Goldrush Guru again.”
Gluyas and Kah’s association stretches back to when the rider first began in Adelaide, making the win even more special for the trainer.
“I think she rode her first black type race for us [himself and Leon Macdonald]. I’m not sure what that was. But anyway, credit to her. Well done. And credit to my team as well,” Gluyas said.
“We work hard – most of the grindstone, we all put in blood, sweat, and tears. You’ve got to take the good with the bad. Today we had a win in Adelaide [Dreams Fulfilled, Morphettville], and won a Group 1 here in Flemington. So, credit to all my team.
“Shout out to Molly Knowles, who’s strapped him today. She travelled with the horse. You know, it was a bit nerve-wracking bringing a colt over who’s a little bit raw. She’s done a tremendous job with him. The team produced today and I’m very proud of everybody.”
It was an eventful afternoon for Kah, who copped a ten-meeting suspension when causing interference aboard the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea-trained Kuroyanagi (Written Tycoon) in The Vanity. She then put that behind her to steer Another Wil (Street Boss), a gelding bred and raced by the late Col McKenna, to an emotional victory in The Damien Oliver (Gr 2, 1400m).
Further drama then incurred when she was head butted in the face behind the barriers by her mount, Hurry Curry (Ocean Park), before the start of the Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m), forcing the horse to be scratched and Kah to be checked over by doctors, after which she was cleared to resume riding.
However, after all the trials and tribulations, Kah said she was delighted to get the Derby win for her long-time associate.
“It means everything to us. Obviously we love riding Group 1 winners, but it just makes it so much more special when it’s for some fantastic people like Andrew,” she said.
“I used to ride for Andrew and Leon. I rode some shockers back in the day for them, so it was nice to repay them on the big stage on Derby Day.
“My plan was to get back on him. Couldn’t hold him early. I was going to be wide and somehow found a little gap to slot into. Once I found the gap, he just fell asleep and gave me a beautiful run throughout.
“He won it a long way out and I could have stopped him for another lap, but he wanted to keep going. They’ve trained this horse to perfection.”
In a day of long associations for Gluyas, Goldrush Guru’s breeder is Harry Perks, who bred Rebel Raider alongside others such as Southern Speed (Southern Image), the 2011 Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) hero for Gluyas and Macdonald, and Macdonald’s 1998 Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Gold Guru (Geiger Counter), while also producing Goldrush Guru’s dam Glam Guru (Medaglia D’Oro), under his banner the Guru Breeding Syndicate.
“It’s lovely to be back here,” Perks told Racing.com. “I race this colt with these guys and we just keep breeding from the family and a good one keeps coming along.
“We thought he’d be a Derby sort of horse as his dam [Glam Guru] ran second in the Wakeful Stakes [in 2019].”
Goldrush Guru (3 c American Pharoah – Glam Guru by Medaglia D’Oro) became the second-consecutive VRC Derby winner for Coolmore’s Triple Crown-winning stallion American Pharoah, following up Riff Rocket’s win last year and the victory also provided the sire with his ninth individual elite-level winner.
Retained to race by his breeders, the colt is the the only foal to race out of the Group 2-placed mare Glam Guru, herself a half-sister to Group 3 scorer Gamblin’ Guru (New Approach) from the family of Champion Three-Year-Old Gold Guru.
Glam Guru currently has a yearling colt by Palace Pier (Kingman) and was covered late last year by Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni).