Barely 24 hours after defeating a seasoned field in Saturday’s Gr.1 Proisir Plate, Well Written (Written Tycoon) was crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year for an unbeaten three-year-old season that carried her from a maiden victory to the top of the country’s racing ranks.
The Stephen Marsh-trained mare also collected Champion Three-Year-Old, while her achievements helped Yulong Investments secure Owner of the Year. Her next assignment could take her across the Tasman, with the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap and $10 million Gr.1 Golden Eagle among the options.
A Champion story Written well
Debuting last September in a 1200-metre maiden, Well Written next claimed the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes before taking out the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at just her third start. She remained undefeated through six starts as a three-year-old, adding the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas in December before displaying her true grit to win the the R. Listed Karaka Millions 3YO and R. Listed NZB The Kiwi.
The winner of over NZ$2.6 million last season, she also earned the Champion Three-Year-Old title and aided her trainer Stephen Marsh in receiving a nomination for Trainer Of The Year at the ceremony. On top of the NZ$230,000 first prize purse in the Proisir Plate, she earned a NZ$500,000 bonus for being the first NZB Kiwi runner from last season to win a domestic Group 1 this season.
Marsh pointed to her rapid rise to the top level as proof to him of how high quality she is.
“Doing that in itself is phenomenal,” he said. “Not many horses can start their preparation (at maiden level and rise to Group 1 level).
“She’s always shown plenty, she was probably a bit of an immature filly when we first bought her and she was one of those fillies that just kept getting better and better every time.
“You like those sort of horses. They don’t show you everything on day one (and keep getting better). She’s been a dream. Her three-year-old campaign was just flawless.”
Well Written carried the colours of Yulong Investments, who bought into her ahead of the Kiwi, when taking out Saturday’s Group 1 to her resume, and she shares a special historical connection with some of the Yulong team.
A $32,500 weanling purchase for Yulong’s Victorian Nominations Manager Harry King and his brother Benji King, she was pinhooked to Marsh and his bloodstock agent Dylan Johnson for NZ$80,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
TTR covered her purchase and pinhooking here.
Yulong Investments also received the Owner Of The Year award courtesy of the mare’s achievements.
Well Written is nominated for the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile on September 26, although she is likely to cross the Tasman instead to contest the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap on October 3 and the $10 million Gr.1 Golden Eagle on October 31.
Written for TTRAusNZ
