Staying mare Gotta Go Guru earns Lord Reims tilt after Morphettville Parks win
A Group 3 race is the next step for young stayer Gotta Go Guru after his soft win at Morphettville Parks on Saturday.
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When a horse steps out bearing the “Guru” name, there’s no doubt they have a reputation to live up to.
Gotta Go Guru is out to add her name to the list of stakes winners that have adorned the Guru title for the Gluyas, Macdonald and Perks’ racing operation, which includes ATC Derby winner Gold Guru (1998), and 2024 VRC Derby winner Goldrush Guru.
A gutsy win in Saturday’s Benchmark 76 over 2250m has Gotta Go Guru on a trail to stakes success, with trainer Andrew Gluyas now turning his attention to the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes at Morphettville on February 22.
The daughter of Fiorente cruised a 1½-length win under the riding of Jason Holder on Saturday, despite carrying a hefty weight impost of 60kg.
Gotta Go Guru stays the strongest in the 2250m contest in South Australia 🙌 pic.twitter.com/oa6gK9Fj9C
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 1, 2025
“She’s ticking boxes and heading in the right direction for us to think we can get into some of these staying races heading into our short little carnival,” Gluyas said.
“Today was the test, to leap up in weight, she’d won under a claim which had given her a little bit of an advantage, she was given good rides through those races as well by Taylor (Johnstone).
“Just that weight swing there had a few doubting her, she’s carried that well and that really would season her perfectly for some nice distance races.”
Ran over 2600m, the Lord Reims is a traditional lead-up race to the Adelaide Cup, to be ran on March 10.
“We’ll definitely have a look at that (Lord Reims), we’ve got about three weeks to sort that out,” he said.
“She is lightly raced, she’s a four-year-old, she’s had some testing runs now as well, we’ll put a circle around it and if she comes up we’ll be there.
“It’s (Adelaide Cup) definitely something to consider, she’s bred that way, it looks like she’s racing that way as well.”
Pure Bliss does it easily, providing Rochelle Milner with a double in SA! ✌ï¸@Clarken_Racingpic.twitter.com/AorK0zUoA0
— Racing.com (@Racing) February 1, 2025
Rochelle Milnes rode a double on Wednesday, was awarded Dux of the SA Apprentice Academy on Thursday night, and the young gun rode that momentum into Saturday, collecting riding honours with a treble aboard Tahnee Treasure, Pure Bliss and Shisuta Bo.
Pure Bliss was a particularly impressive winner, storming away for a comprehensive three and a half length win under a classy ride from Milnes.
Shisuta Bo’s victory in a 0-66 Handicap over 1200m also snared a training double for Travis Doudle, who was successful earlier in the nine-race card with promising first-starter Flaming Navy.
A hat-trick of wins saw Milnes jump to a three-win lead in the Adelaide jockeys’ premiership with 27 victories over nearest rival Lachlan Neindorf (24).
Originally published as Staying mare Gotta Go Guru earns Lord Reims tilt after Morphettville Parks win
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