The Golden Slipper Fits For Stud Managers As Written Tycoon Confirms The Trend
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday August 19, 2005
The Golden Slipper "class of 2005" is shaping as the most significant stallion provider in the 50-year history of the race, with Written Tycoon the latest colt sought by several studs in Australia and New Zealand.
It is believed Written Tycoon's connections, who earlier this week stunned trainer Grahame Begg by declaring they would be removing all their horses from his Randwick stables, have the colt on the market as a racing and breeding proposition.A major Hunter Valley stud has been strongly mentioned along with a leading Queensland stud and there have reportedly been feelers from New Zealand, with a price of up to $4 million mentioned.Begg selected Written Tycoon for the Written Bloodstock Syndicate, run by Mark Peters and Larry King, paying just $50,000 for the son of Iglesia at the 2004 Magic Million Sales.The trainer won twice with the colt leading into the Golden Slipper, including the group 2 Todman Slipper Trial at Rosehill.The horse has raced six times for two wins and two seconds with earnings of $268,375, including a great first-up second to Media in the San Domenico at Randwick a fortnight ago.Written Tycoon is from the first crop of Iglesia (by Last Tycoon), which stands at Neville Stewart's Oaklands Stud in Toowoomba. He's a striking chestnut possessing great stallion attributes and could develop into a group1 performer.He was one of nine colts to contest Stratum's Golden Slipper in April and all nine look to have a future in the breeding barn.Stratum and Snitzel are headed that way, with Widden and Arrowfield studs buying into the two sons of Redoute's Choice respectively. They will stand at stud next year.Domesday, a son of Red Ransom, which returns to racing in Saturday's Up and Coming Stakes at Randwick, has a stud career pencilled in for him at Bob Ingham's Woodlands Stud.Blue Diamond winner Undoubtedly is another Redoute's Choiceto be sought after as a stallion and his first-up third at Moonee Valley last Saturday was highly encouraging.Peter Moody's Rory's Jester colt Seidnazar was scratched from Moonee Valley last week because of the track conditions, but the trainer believes he, too, could be a success at stud.The other three colts which contested this year's Slipper are Flying Pegasus and Dr Green, two well-credentialled and impressive individuals by Fusaichi Pegasus, and Al Samer, a son of Redoute's Choice, which was placed in the Magic Millions before winning the Black Opal Stakes at Canberra.The previous three Golden Slippers have produced 10 stallions now at stud, several of them superb racetrack performers. They are:2002 - Bel Esprit, Choisir, Snowland and Planchet;2003 - Exceed And Excel, Niello and Face Value;2004 - Charge Forward, Fastnet Rock and Dane Shadow.Golden Slipper winners have contributed hugely to the Australian breeding industry, dating back to the inaugural winner Todman, then Vain, Baguette, Luskin Star, Full On Aces, Marscay, Sir Dapper, Rory's Jester, Marauding, Star Watch, Canny Lad, Danzero, Flying Spur and Catbird.This trend seems sure to continue.NORTHERN EXPOSURE: There were several notable achievements in the northern hemisphere during the week, including: The magnificent win of Dubawi, ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, in the group 1 Prix Jacques le Marios, run over the straight mile at Deauville in France, which ended the sequence of France's super filly Divine Proportions (fourth), which was attempting her 10th consecutive win.Dubawi's sire, Dubai Millennium, had a further two winners this week, the highly talented filly Thousand Island at the Deauville meeting and Echo Of Light at Yarmouth in Britain. The group 1 Juddmonte International at York was probably the most important race during the week, and Italian runner Electrocutionist,a four-year-old by Red Ransom, beat champion Japanese horse Zenno Rob Roy by a neck in the 2000-metre race, with Michael Kinane bringing the winner from last to first.At the same meeting Melbourne Cup hopeful Distinction, by Danehill, was an 11-8 on favourite when beaten by the eight-year-old Millenary in the two-mile Lonsdale Cup. Galileo had his first stakes winner, at Newbury when Innocent Air won the Listed Washington Singer Stakes and for good measure provided Galileo's Star to take out the quinella. Leading UK jockey John Murtagh copped a 21-day ban last week, ruling him out of riding Motivator, the impressive English Derby winner, in the Irish Champion Stakes on September 10. The Bluegrass Farm, in the heart of Lexington, Kentucky, which was once owned by multi-millionaire Nelson Bunker-Hunt, was sold for $US6.8 million ($10m) to prominent breeder Brad Kelley. In the early 1980s, Bunker-Hunt invested a small fortune in the Australian and New Zealand breeding and racing industries.SIX OF THE BEST: William Inglis had six reasons to celebrate after last Saturday's nine-race card at Rosehill - six winners on the day had gone under the hammer at its Newmarket sale ring.Shania Dane ($470,000), To Be Surprised ($120,000), Barberton ($80,000), Mystery City ($22,500), Wild Queen ($260,000) and God's Own ($220,000) were the Inglis graduates to salute.
© 2005 Sydney Morning Herald