Written By Brother Wins G3 Manfred Stakes

Tara Madgwick - Saturday January 25

The full brother to Champion 2YO Colt Written By, promising Written Tycoon colt Royal Insignia showed more than a glimpse of the family ability when posting his first stakes win at Sandown on Saturday when taking out the $200,000 Group III MRC Manfred Stakes (1200m).

Royal Insignia wins the G3 Manfred Stakes - image Grant Courtney

Trained by Grahame Begg and ridden by Jamie Mott, Royal Insignia finished 2024 with a pair of wins in lower grade at Kyneton and Caulfield in November and was returning from a short summer break.

He hit the line with a rush to score by half a length taking his overall record to three wins from five starts with prizemoney topping $173,000.

Bred

and retained to race by the Begg family, Royal Insignia was foaled and raised at Widden Stud and is the eighth winner from eight to race from exceptional producer Yau Chin, whose star son Written By stands at Widden Stud, while her star daughter C’Est Magique was bought by Tom Magnier for $1.7million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale last year.

"We've always had a lot of faith in this horse," Grahame Begg said. 

"I took him to Bendigo for his first race and he got it all wrong that day. He got beaten eight lengths and I came home scratching my head and thought what has gone wrong here. 

"We turned him out, brought him back and gave him a couple of runs later in the spring but he's gone to another level now. 

"He's pretty exciting, an unassuming horse that travels well in his races. He wants to relax and get there on the line." 

Advertisement

Royal Insignia returns a G3 winner - image Grant Courtney

Begg will look to step Royal Insignia up in trip with the Group I VRC Australian Guineas a possible goal with the Group III C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) on February 15 the next target on that pathway for an exciting colt from a remarkable producer.

"The sad part is we had to put his mother down yesterday," Begg said. 

"She was an old mare but a great producer. 

"We've got another promising filly out of the family Perfect Picture (3f Toronado (IRE) x Take a Selfie) that won at Pakenham recently and she's out of a half-sister to this horse (Royal Insignia).

"She's very exciting as well so the family lives on." 

The Begg family sold a yearling filly by Capitalist from Yau Chin at Magic Millions last year in the Widden draft to China Horse Club for $370,000 and she has been named Exceptional Beauty. Yau Chin then  produced a filly in 2024 by Zoustar that is a full sister to Group II winner C’Est Magique and is her final foal.

Royal Insignia is the 70th stakes-winner for Written Tycoon.

Advertisment

Race Result - Tile Importer Manfred Stakes Gr3 1200m

Sandown-Lakeside Track: Good(3) Time: 1:11.06
1
Royal Insignia
- 3c Written Tycoon (AUS) x Yau Chin (AUS) (Tobougg (IRE))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: J Mott 57
2
0.4
Tropicus
- 3c Too Darn Hot (GB) x Extensible (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: A & S Freedman Rdr: D Moor 57
3
0.7
Band Of Brothers
- 3g Omaha Beach (USA) x Medgrinda (AUS) (Medaglia D'oro (USA))
Tnr: Dominic Sutton Rdr: Damian Lane 58.5
4
1.1
Another Prophet
- 3f Brazen Beau (AUS) x Set To Skelter (AUS) (Reset (AUS))
Tnr: C Maher Rdr: Ethan Brown 57.5
5
2.1
Wonder Boy
- 3g Cosmic Force (AUS) x Beatniks (AUS) (Haradasun (AUS))
Tnr: Jerome Hunter Rdr: M Zahra 57
6
3.4
Judicial
- 3c Written Tycoon (AUS) x Dirty (AUS) (Hussonet (USA))
Tnr: P G Moody & Katherine Coleman Rdr: Jamie Melham 57
7
3.5
Ndola
- 3c Justify (USA) x Hear The Chant (AUS) (Nicconi (AUS))
Tnr: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes Rdr: L Currie 57
More Reading...
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Who are we highlighting this week? - Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
New Zealand Makes Presence Felt in Hong Kong’s 2024-25 Season
From a freakish sprinter with a (NZ) suffix to an exciting group of up-and-comers sourced from the Karaka sale ring, New Zealand’s influence was strongly felt on Hong Kong racetracks during the 2024-25 season.
Too Darn Promising
If there is one thing we have learned about the progeny of Too Darn Hot (GB) this season it is that they train on and whatever his progeny show at two they invariably improve on at three so with that thinking in mind we’ve gone looking for a few spring contenders starting with the obvious.
Hello Youmzain Filly Chasing Another Stakes Win
The Lisa Latta-trained pair of Platinum Diamond and Brutiful Lass will bid to end their juvenile season in perfect fashion at Otaki on Saturday when they tackle the Listed Phils Electrical & Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m).
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 24
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Kyneton
Grahame Begg has had to be patient with the handsome sibling to Group I winner Written By and Group II winner C’Est Magique and he was rewarded at Kyneton on Wednesday when the lightly raced Written Tycoon colt raced to a stylish victory.
Farnan Draws Level with Ole Kirk on 13 Winners
There’s a good battle going to decide the leading first season sire by Australian winners and with just seven days of the season to run Farnan is laying down the gauntlet to the long time division leader Ole Kirk.
Kiwi Trainer Collects a Unique Double
Riccarton horseman Andrew Carston collected a winning double at his local synthetic meeting on Thursday, firstly as an owner and later as a trainer.
Amelia’s Jewel Family Produces Wootton Bassett 2YO SW
Wootton Bassett (GB) added yet another new two year old stakes-winner to his tally overnight in Ireland with the Group III Silver Flash Stakes (7 ½ f) at Leopardstown going to a filly that is closely related to Aussie Group I winner Amelia’s Jewel.
Kiwi stayer Mark Twain on Comeback Trail
One-time Melbourne Cup fancy Mark Twain will make his first public appearance for more than 12 months when the Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained gelding has an exhibition gallop at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Is Sponsor: True