Twentieth Stakes Winner for Written Tycoon

Mark Smith - Wednesday September 13

The Written Tycoon gelding Balf's Choice looked anything but a future stakes winner when he travelled far and wide to break his maiden at Mildura at his ninth start.

The Ryan Balfour-trained 5yo gradually improved throughout last season winning four of his 11 starts including the last three on the trot.

He made it four in a row at Morphettville at his 5yo bow on August 12.

Advertisement

The winning run was snapped at his most recent start in a benchmark 82 at Morphettville.


With WA champion William Pike taking the ride in Wednesday's Listed The Advertiser Newspapers Balaklava Cup (1600m), Balf's Choice worked to the front and was never headed.

Keeping up a relentless gallop, Balf's Choice defeated the favourite Brown Ben (Big Brown) by two and three-quart5er lengths with Jim's Journey (Good Journey) a length back in third.

"I'm ecstatic, just over the moon, Balfour told Racing.com.

"The way (Pike) summed the race up. I told him his usual pattern was to let him chase.  

"We were concerned about the pace but he just summed things up and he got a real soft run to the 800 and then from the 800 to the 400 he skipped away and he was always going to be strong late.

"So much credit goes to him (Pike)."

A $20,000 purchase by his trainer out of the Ducatoon Park draft at the 2014 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Balf's Choice advances his record to 7 wins, 2 seconds and 4 thirds from 23 starts with earnings of $228,580.

He is the fifth foal and fourth winner out of the 4-time winning Celtic Swing mare Not Jude's Choice who is a half-sister to Group III placed Flying Spur mare Roedean who was first past the post in the $1 million Group I Blue Diamond Stakes before being taken down when she tested positive to a banned substance.

Roedean is the dam of the multiple stakes-placed Holyonny (Lonhro).

Not Jude's Choice has a 3yo colt by Americain (USA) and a 2yo filly by Dalakhani (IRE).

Balf's Choice becomes the 20th stakes-winner for Woodside Park Stud's Written Tycoon who stands for a fee of $88000 in  2017. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Aussie 2YO SW for Tivaci
New Zealand-bred colt Matahga stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Tattersall’s Mile For The Inflictor - Under The Louvre’s Second SW
Third at Listed level before winning at Doomben, the Craig Cousins-trained The Inflictor (Under The Louvre) then tackled the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, and while not in the same league as winner War Wachine (Harry Angel), the 4yo gelding showed his class on Saturday to win the Listed BRC Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Miss Joelene Achieves Millionaire Status
This time last year, Miss Joelene was highlighting herself as one to watch for the future, having placed in the Group 2 The Roses and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, and after a few runs behind the outstanding Antino (Redwood) this time in, a class drop on Saturday saw her record victory in the $200,000 Listed BRC Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m) at Eagle Farm.
Corumbene Stud Homebred Tashi Wins G1 Tatts Tiara
From the last crop of foals sired by Widden Stud’s much missed Golden Slipper winning sire Sebring, five year-old mare Tashi may also be his final Group I winner as she produced a career best performance at Eagle Farm on Saturday to win the $700,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m).
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Unbeaten So You Think 3YO WA's New Excitement Machine
One month to the day since he first set foot on a racecourse, So You Think’s three year old son  Opportunistic remains undefeated from three starts, is a dual stakes winner with earnings of $200,250 to his name, and is WA's new rising star of the turf.
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
Almanzor Stayer wins G3 Tattersalls Cup
It's been a long time since the  2022 Victoria Derby and some may have wondered whether the winner Manzoice was ever going to win again!