The Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m) was expected to be the weekend’s key pointer for the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), but a spectacular performance on the Ellerslie undercard had its own impact on fixed-odds betting for the Christchurch classic.
First-starter Well Written blitzed a highly rated maiden field by three lengths in Saturday’s Join TAB Racing Club (1200m). The TAB immediately slashed her from $61 into $14 for the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 8.
“We’ve always rated her highly and made the next payment for the 1000 Guineas even though she was unraced at the time,” trainer Stephen Marsh said. “We’ll have to look at the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) now and maybe even get her down south. She looks top-drawer.”
Well Written is by Written Tycoon out of the Sebring mare Mozzie Monster, who placed in the Listed Jim Moloney Stakes (1400m) and Bendigo Guineas (1400m). The talented filly won both of her trials as an autumn two-year-old, then built into her new campaign with a third in an Avondale trial on August 12 and a win at Ellerslie on September 9.
Sent out as a $6.50 third favourite among a highly competitive line-up on Saturday, Well Written began only fairly from her wide gate but quickly recovered and moved into sixth and one off the rail for jockey Matt Cartwright.
The speed came out of the race down the side of the track and the field bunched right up, prompting Cartwright to hook to the outside and get Well Written up and rolling with 600m still to run.
Well Written dashed to the lead at the 300m mark and soon drew clear despite gawking around for most of the home straight. She beat Navy Ensign by three lengths, with another length and a quarter back to Argo and Avantaggia.
“She’s got a lot of ability,” Cartwright said. “She jumped awkwardly, but then we ended up getting a lovely run. They went awfully slow, so I had to keep her in rhythm and get her out and give her every chance.
“She quickened up very well. She was green late, but she’s a good horse. She definitely has black type in her future.”
Well Written was offered by Brighthill Farm in the 2024 NZB National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus, where Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock bought her for a sale-topping $80,000.
“She’s a beautiful filly,” Marsh said. “I was hoping for a good draw today, but when the gates came out and she’d drawn 10, I thought, ‘Jeez, that’s par for the course with how we’re going at the moment.’
“But she was brilliant. Matt gave her a beautiful ride and got her one off. He had to get out and get going a bit early, he didn’t want to be caught in a pocket. Matt’s liked this filly for a very long time and she’s shown today that she’s a good horse.
“We bought her online. We’ve got a lot of good stable clients in the ownership, and some new clients as well. It’s great.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.
