LOPE De Vega is the sire of the Australian-born Gytrash and that son of the Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Miss Barley became the Ballylinch Stud stallion’s 10th Group 1 winner when he caused an upset in the Black Caviar Lightening Stakes. Gytrash is owned by a large group and is now winner of seven of his 15 starts and has earnings approaching Aus$900,000.

This is quite an achievement for the offspring of a mare who was bought for a mere Aus$4,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Winter Mixed Sale two and a half years ago, having produced a winner with her first runner and with the Lope De Vega colt still to race. Prior to last week’s victory, Gytrash was a listed winner and had been placed at Group 2 and 3 level.

The introduction of Fastnet Rock and Lope De Vega into the family has been quite an upgrade. Miss Barley never raced but her present owner Justine Erkelens was attracted by her size and strength and at the time of her sale she was carrying the now two-year-old filly Pouakai (Demerit) who was placed in a trial last month.

That filly’s year older half-sister Outlaw Miss (Rubick) was also bought by Erkelens – so she now has the dam of a Group 1 winner and a couple of siblings.

The dual classic winner Lope De Vega is a son of Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) and the Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Lady Vettori (Vettori). This year the striking chesnut will stand for a career high fee of €100,000, having been as low as €12,500 for his third and fourth seasons at stud in 2013 and 2014. His first European crop included the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes and Group 1 Lockinge Stakes winner Belardo, while last year his son Phoenix Of Spain, starting his stud career now at the Irish National Stud, won the Group 1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas. Gytrash is his third Group 1 winner bred down under.

Miss Barley is a half-sister to the Australian listed winning mare Strawberry Storm (Thunder Gulch) and she is grandam of the stakes winner Goodfella (Snitzel). One name familiar on this side of the world in the family is Danroad (Danehill) and this Group 2 winner and Group 1 runner-up stood for a few years in Ireland.