Unbeaten filly Well Written is back in work and while exact plans have yet to be confirmed, a clearer picture of her New Year schedule is forming.
The only certainty is that her primary target is the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), and with that speculation is mounting as to which slot the Stephen Marsh-trained filly will be running for when the field for the country’s richest race lines up at Ellerslie on March 7.
“She’s been back in the stable five days and looks great after having an easy time since the 1000 Guineas,” Marsh said on Monday.
“The Kiwi is obvious, that’s the race she’ll be targeting, and this week there’ll be a lot going on as we work through the various slots and other matters.
“We’ve asked all the interested parties to put their offers down in writing and by the end of the week we expect to be closer to making a decision as to where it lands.
“There’s a lot in play between the owners and everyone else involved, but we’ll get there, it’s just a matter of working through the process.”
Well Written’s ownership group now includes the Chinese-based Yulong Investments, whose global reach made its biggest move in this country by securing a 50 percent share in the daughter of their own stallion Written Tycoon before her third consecutive win in the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
Marsh has indicated that a start in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) is looking less likely in preference to the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) or Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on the same Ellerslie raceday on January 24.
Well Written is the clear early favourite at $2.20 for the Karaka Millions 3YO and at $2.50 for the NZB Kiwi, while she shares Railway favouritism at $4 with Alabama Lass. She also heads the market at $8 for the Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m), but that race, on the same day as the NZB Kiwi and over an extreme distance, has been virtually ruled out.
“We’re tossing up whether we should run her fresh-up in the Railway or opt for her own age-group in the Almanzor Trophy,” Marsh said. “The other option is to start her off earlier with a view to running in the Karaka Millions.
“That’s a possibility as she’s done so well during her break and we’re now wondering whether we run her in the Karaka Millions, then head to the Kiwi. Dropping back from 1600 to 1500m shouldn’t be an issue, but as you can understand there’s a fair bit to weigh up.”
Marsh’s next feature three-year-old runner is To Cap It All in Saturday’s Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Pukekohe, looking to her to bounce back from finishing last on an unsuitable heavy track in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
At her previous start To Cap It All had finished second in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) to stablemate Swiss Prince, who was also unplaced in the 2000 Guineas and is just back in work with the Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day his initial summer target. – LOVERACING NZ News Desk.
