This article was written by Caitlin Smith for TTR AusNZ.
In this series, TTR AusNZ shines the analytical spotlight on an in-form sire, trainer, vendor or breeder who is enjoying a particularly good run and Written Tycoon is TTR AusNZ’s sire of the month.
Historical data suggests that only a select few stallions will achieve success in breeding endeavours. Furthermore, a stallion’s chances of success are significantly impacted by the opportunities presented, including the size and quality of the mares in their breeding book. In this context, Written Tycoon’s accomplishments in breeding are remarkable.
- Progeny by Written Tycoon have claimed almost 10 per cent of all Australiasian 2-year-old stakes races this season.
- 20 per cent of his current season juveniles are stakes performers.
- Over 12 per cent of his three-year-old crop have achieved black-type status.
- Written Tycoon is responsible for 62 individual stakes winners to date.
Written Tycoon epitomises a classic rags-to-riches narrative. Beginning his stud duties in 2007 at Eliza Park Stud in Victoria for a modest fee of $8,250 (inc GST), he was subsequently sold to dissolve a partnership for what now seems like a very modest sum of $625,000 at the 2009 Inglis Great Southern Bloodstock Sale.
Relocating some five times during his 16-year stud career, Written Tycoon has climbed to the top the hard way.
A pivotal moment in his career arose in 2020 when he gained access to some of the nation’s top mares in a joint venture with Arrowfield Stud. This opportunity, wherein he served 199 mares at a discounted fee of $77,000 (inc GST), garnered significant support from leading breeders across the country.
| Name | Dam | Breeder |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Of Camelot | Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock) | Go Bloodstock, NSW |
| Velocious | Parmalove (Snitzel) | Inglewood Stud, NSW |
| Captured By Love | Moldova (Snitzel) | Makybe Racing & Breeding, Vic |
| Kuroyanagi | Tetsuko (I Am Invincible) | Yarraman Park Stud Pty Ltd, Jullian Sullivan, NSW |
| Satin Stiletto | Satin Slipper (Pierro) | Mrs B Bateman, NSW |
The statistics from the resulting crop are remarkable, with the progeny conceived at Arrowfield Stud contributing to over a quarter of Written Tycoon’s total stakes performers this season. Moreover, they have accounted for nearly 10 per cent of all 2-year-old stakes races across Australasia this season, further highlighting the significance of Written Tycoon’s time in the Hunter Valley.
Among the 25 starters from his 2021 foal crop this far, seven have emerged as winners, with 20 per cent of them achieving black-type status.
Notably, this group includes two Group 1 victories from Lady Of Camelot, the G1 Golden Slipper champion, and Velocious, who claimed victory in New Zealand’s prestigious G1 Sistema S. earlier this month. This race also featured Written Tycoon’s Captured By Love who placed third after claiming back-to-back success in the G2 Wakefield Challenge S. and G2 Matamata Breeders S.
All five stakes performers from this crop are the product of astute breeders who capitalised on the use of Written Tycoon during a once off season at Arrowfield Stud.
The trip north proved even more worthwhile for Written Tycoon’s credentials given Arrowfield Stud’s four-time Champion sire Snitzel is responsible for two of his three juvenile stakes winners this season. Group 1 winning juvenile Velocious is from Parmalove (Snitzel) while stakes winning filly Captured By Love is from Snitzel’s daughter Moldova.
| Crop | Rnrs | Wnrs | Sh | Sw | Prizemoney |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 0 | $650,973 |
| 2009 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | $406,925 |
| 2010 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 1 | $337,548 |
| 2011 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 0 | $425,379 |
| 2012 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 1 | $375,240 |
| 2013 | 26 | 12 | 4 | 4 | $4,483,414 |
| 2014 | 27 | 12 | 2 | 0 | $751,707 |
| 2015 | 31 | 10 | 2 | 1 | $2,021,479 |
| 2016 | 35 | 6 | 1 | 0 | $761,018 |
| 2017 | 63 | 17 | 3 | 1 | $1,148,093 |
| 2018 | 44 | 16 | 3 | 2 | $2,070,450 |
| 2019 | 34 | 6 | 5 | 4 | $2,544,525 |
| 2020 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 0 | $552,090 |
| 2021 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 3 | $4,976,061 |
With 89 named 2-year-olds yet to make their debut on the racetrack, the current season of 2-year-olds for Written Tycoon appears to be on track to become one of his most successful juvenile crops thus far.
Across 14 crops, Written Tycoon has produced 17 stakes-winning 2-year-olds, with five of them occurring at Group 1 level. The only other crop to achieve this feat was his 2013 group, which boasted two Group 1-winning juveniles: Capitalist, the G1 Golden Slipper champion, and La Luna Rossa, victorious in the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.
Furthermore, his 2019 crop, exemplified by the dual stakes-winning juvenile filly Coolongatta, stands out as the sole year-group boasting four individual juvenile stakes winners. With 30 juvenile stakes events yet to unfold this racing season, Written Tycoon seems poised to exceed his record for juvenile stakes winners in a single season, positioning himself strongly to contend for the title of Champion 2YO Sire.
Although his juvenile horses are excelling, they represent 30 per cent of his stakes winners for the current season, indicating considerable success beyond just this age group.
His current group of 3-year-olds is excelling having accounted for 50 per cent of his stakes winners this season. Over 12 per cent of his 2020 crop have achieved black-type which is headlined by this year’s G1 Australian Guineas winner Southport Tycoon and last weekend’s G3 MVRC Don Casboult Classic winner Gumdrops adding further black-type status to her record.
| Year | Average |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 228,150 |
| 2023 | 295,226 |
| 2022 | 310,570 |
| 2021 | 288,074 |
| 2020 | 169,022 |
| 2019 | 213,331 |
| 2018 | 179,936 |
| 2017 | 171,554 |
| 2016 | 99,448 |
| 2015 | 58,421 |
| 2014 | 33,964 |
| 2013 | 35,214 |
| 2012 | 21,896 |
| 2011 | 32,984 |
| 2010 | 22,089 |
Demand for Written Tycoon’s progeny has experienced a steady ascent, although it has taken considerable time for his sales ring rewards to align with his racetrack achievements. Prior to 2017, yearlings by Written Tycoon sold at public auction in Australia garnered average prices of less than $100,000.
His inaugural crop of 38 yearlings managed only a modest average of just over $22,000. However, a pivotal turning point emerged in the 2015/2016 season with the emergence of Group 1 winning juveniles Capitalist and La Luna Rossa, catalysing a substantial surge in demand for Written Tycoon’s offspring. By the 2017 yearling sales circuit, his yearlings commanded average prices surpassing $170,000, marking a remarkable 72 per cent increase from the previous year.
This upward trajectory peaked in 2022 when his yearlings fetched an average price of $310,000, coinciding with his inaugural Australian Champion General Sires title for season 2020/2021.
While this season has witnessed a slight dip in his average yearling price to $230,000, the addition of two individual Group 1 winners to his accolades this month almost guarantees another uptick in average price. With 31 yearlings poised to be offered at next week’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, savvy buyers are expected to flock to the opportunity presented by Written Tycoon’s progeny.
