A $390,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Clarken Bloodstock / Ridgeport Holdings from the Yarraman Park draft, Written Tycoon filly Kuroyanagi was good enough to run third in the Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes last season and showed her class to win at Caulfield on Saturday.
Trained by the Clarken-O’Shea partnership at Murray Bridge, Kuroyanagi was second and fourth in her first two runs back from a spell in stakes races and was dropped back slightly in class for the $150,000 MRC Thoroughbred Club of Australia Plate over 1200m.
In a big field of competitive fillies, she was given a good ride by Blake Shinn from an inside gate and scored by a long head over the fast finishing Chewing Gum.
“We knew she was going well, but just needed to get her back on track,” said Niki O’Shea.
“The Guineas (Thousand Guineas G1)is at the back of our minds, so we’ll try her over seven furlongs next start and go from there.”
Bred by Yarraman Park in partnership, Kuroyanagi has the overall record of two wins and three placings from six starts and has won just shy of $400,000.
Kuroyanagi is a half-sister to Group III placed Zousuko and is the best of five winners from six to race from Group II placed I Am Invincible mare Tetusko, who has the distinction of being the first ever runner for I Am Invincible when she was second on debut in the Listed ATC Gimcrack Stakes.
Tetsuko was also bred by Yarraman Park and her Deep Field yearling filly made $475,000 at Magic Millions this year when bought by Ciaron Maher Bloodstock/ David Redvers Bloodstock.
She has foaled this spring producing a colt by Brave Smash ((Jpn) that is bred on the same cross as Group II winner Kimochi.
