Cover image courtesy of Racing SA
The Adelaide-based trainer has prepared 3-year-old Goldrush Guru (American Pharoah {USA}) for seven starts for three wins and three placings. Third on debut in April, his only unplaced run so far has been his first crack at stakes level in the G3 Breeders’ S. at Morphettville. Two weeks ago, the colt put 2.2l on Cavity Bay (Cable Bay {Ire}) to win the Hill Smith and signal his Derby intent.
“They ran a strong 1800-metre here at stakes level a couple of weeks ago, and he gave every indication he's got the capacity to run a mile and a half,” he said.
Interstate raiders
The association with the Victorian Derby runs deep for Gluyas, who was a key part of preparing Leon Macdonald’s Rebel Raider for victory in the 2008 edition of the race. The tenacious son of Reset came through the Hill Smith S. as well, running fifth, before snagging a third in the Listed Geelong Classic 10 days on his way to Flemington. He followed up his Victorian raid with winning the G1 South Australian Derby the following May.
“I was involved in that campaign. He (Rebel Raider) came through the same race but he didn't win, he probably got held up for a run there,” Gluyas recalled. The colt had gone into the Hill Smith as the race favourite, finishing 6.1l behind Dual Hemisphere (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). Bookmakers sent him off as a $101 chance in the Derby.
Andrew Gluyas | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“So we took him to the Geelong Classic, and then from the Classic into the Derby, where he came out and won well on long odds for that occasion.”
Gluyas had been working on and off for the Hall Of Fame trainer since he was a teenager and solidified the relationship by marrying Macdonald’s daughter Susan. In 2001, he became a mainstay of Macdonald’s operation and, at the beginning of the 2009/10 racing season, joined Macdonald in South Australia’s first formally recognised training partnership. With both their names in the race book, they would steer Rebel Raider to a win in the G3 Spring Stakes at Morphettville and a fourth in the same race the following year before retiring him to stud.
The sire of seven stakes winners, Rebel Raider has been pensioned since the end of his 2019 season at Wyndholm Park.
Rebel Raider | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Since Rebel Raider, there have been two entrants for the Macdonald and Gluyas partnership in the Victorian Derby. In 2011, Perfect Punch (Starcraft {NZ}) won the same lead up race as Goldrush Guru, then emulated Rebel Raider’s third in the Geelong Classic, before not delivering on Derby Day.
Macdonald stepped down from the partnership at the end of the 2022/23 season and handed the reins to Gluyas for Air Assault (Justify {USA}), who also claimed the Hill Smith S., then ran third in the G2 Vase on his way to an unplaced finish in Riff Rocket’s (American Pharoah {USA}) Derby. Air Assault finished third in the South Australian Derby behind Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun), before returning this preparation to win the Listed Balaklava Cup.
“He’s a good mentor,” Gluyas said of his father-in-law. “He ran a very successful business here in Adelaide and had some good success, and it was great (working with him). He's since retired, but he's still around for conversations and support.”
Gold in the family
The association between Macdonald and the Guru Breeding Syndicate, led by Harry Perks, is a long one, stretching back to Champion 3-Year-Old in Australia Gold Guru (Geiger Counter {USA}), who won the G1 Australian Derby, the G1 Australian Guineas, and the G1 Ranvet S. Macdonald steered the son of city-winning Proud Halo (Don’t Say Halo {USA}) to eight victories, also capturing three Group 2 races and placing in the G1 Mercedes Classic and G1 Yalumba S.
“Gold Guru was the original one that my father-in-law trained in ‘98,” said Gluyas. “He was a good 3-year-old in his time, and, Proud Halo was the mare, we've had a bit to do with all the horses that have come through her.”
Gold Guru | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Gold Guru’s younger brother Gallant Guru, who was exported to stand at stud in New Zealand in 2007, was trained by Macdonald to four straight wins in the spring of his 3-year-old campaign, and was another Macdonald trainee to capture the Hill Smith and the Geelong Classic. He would round his career off with another four straight wins the following spring for Lee Freedman.
The mare would produce two other stakes performers, both trained by Macdonald, and Macdonald paid $100,000 for her daughter by Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) at the 2005 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She wouldn’t make it to the track, but she would produce G3 Chairman’s S. winner Gamblin’ Guru (New Approach {Ire}), who was trained by the Macdonald-Gluyas partnership, and Goldrush Guru’s dam, G2 Wakeful S.-placed Glam Guru (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Continuing an incredible trainer association with the race, she also ran second in the Hill Smith on her way to the Wakeful.
“The Hill Smith is one of those races that comes up on our cards here in Adelaide that is set for those horses that are thinking of going to the Classics races, it's always (been) a pathway for the Classics.”
“The Hill Smith is one of those races that comes up on our cards here in Adelaide that is set for those horses that are thinking of going to the Classics races...” - Andrew Gluyas
Goldrush Guru is the first living foal from his dam, who has a 2-year-old by Toronado (Ire) and a yearling colt by Palace Pier (GB) to follow. His Listed victory made him the 51st stakes winner for former Coolmore shuttler and Triple Crown victor American Pharoah (USA). On Saturday, he bids to give his sire a ninth Group 1 winner.
“He’s (Goldrush Guru) the first one from the mare, we trained her and she had some success racing at 2000 metres,” Gluyas said. “We’ve had a lot to do with them, it goes back a long way.”
Raising the bar
For now, Gluyas has his attention trained firmly on Saturday’s big day.
“It was a bit tricky early on, but he’s settled into his racing now, he’s had a good preparation,” he said, focus back on his 3-year-old rising star. “He’s got to step up to the mile and a half, so hopefully he can settle in the run and have enough left to let down in the straight.
“But he's a beautiful horse, a nice colt. He's strong and sensible enough so he's a good chance. We’re fortunate to have Jamie Kah taking the ride, she's a proven high level jockey and we’re rapt to have her on board.”
“He’s (Goldrush Guru) got to step up to the mile and a half, so hopefully he can settle in the run and have enough left to let down in the straight. But he's a beautiful horse, a nice colt. He's strong and sensible enough so he's a good chance.” - Andrew Gluyas
The allure of another crack at the South Australian Derby in the autumn certainly appeals to Gluyas, but Saturday comes first and Gluyas is cognizant of the jump in class for his colt. He will be one of five (six including emergencies) last start winners in the race, headed by last weekend’s impressive G1 Spring Champion S. winner El Castello (NZ) (Castelvecchio) and winner of another traditional lead-up race, the Vase, Red Aces (Dundeel {NZ}).
“It’s a big step and he's got to make that step,” he said. “It’s a big jump up in class and distance, and those horses there from Sydney are proven at 2000 metres at the class, so the bar’s been lifted for him. We’re hopeful he can perform well.
“He’s a stakes winner now over nine furlongs so you'd like to hope he can perform at stakes level in the autumn. We’ll just see whether he can stay on Saturday, and that will make our minds up.”
