The Victorian sired Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Australia's highest rated 2YO
colt last season, had not raced since running third in the Golden Slipper
Stakes in March.Woodside Park's James Price believes Written By is looking like good, if not better than last season appearing to be a stronger and more mature three-year-old.
"More often than not, champion two-year-olds return to the racetrack a three-year-olds and don't hit their previous highs. But Written By's winning return on Saturday showed he is on the way to achieving Group 1 success as a three-year-old," Price said.
"If he manages to (win a Group 1 this spring), it will put him in elite company, the best of his generation and possibly the best for several years."
Trainer Grahame Begg has given the colt a longer-than-normal winter break, but the long break or the significant weight penalty of 3.5kg above all of his rivals, did not stop him.
"We decided to let him rejuvenate himself. Over the years so many people have made the mistake of bringing them back too early trying to chase those early riches in the spring," Begg said.
"I have noticed a big change in the horse since the autumn. He's gone from a boy to a man, and mentally his manners were impeccable today at the races. We saddled him up, and he never turned a hair.
"We could have upped the ante as far as distance rages go and chased races like the Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas, but, we think he is a pure sprinter and as he is so brilliant, we will focus on the Blue Sapphire as a led into the Coolmore. He will then return for the big Group 1 autumn sprints," Begg said.
Written By's sire Written Tycoon has also started his spring with a similar
brilliance with a 'who's who' of elite performed and producing mares visiting
the Champion Victorian stallion in the breeding barn at Tylden."Written Tycoon has begun his season in exceptional style. At the age of 16 years old, his first two weeks of early scans have seen him with a fertility percentage of 86%. That's a phenomenal statistic for any stallion at the end of the season let alone midway through September," Price said.
Just a few of the high-profile mares visiting Written Tycoon this season include:
Listed winning $600,000 maiden mare Hell Or Highwater (bought at the 2018 mare sales by Woodside Park Stud and Sheriff Iskander)
Ineffable, a half-sister to Capitalist, owned by SF Bloodstock
Limestone, a maiden Group three winning mare, owned by Hesket Bloodstock
Ocean Embers, the dual Group 3 winning mare
Sheidel, Robert Crabtree's brilliant Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner.
Sia, a $1.1m yearling, and beautifully bred sister to stakes winners Lake Geneva and Ennis Hill and daughter of Hips Don't Lie.
Gilgai Farm's incredible producer, Soorena, the dam of Group 1 winner The Quarterback and Group 2 winner Philippi and two $1.4 million yearling colts
It follows one of the greatest lists of broodmares to visit a Victorian sire last season when Group 1 winners Bel Mer, Headway, Makybe Diva and Pasadena Girl were all covered by Written Tycoon along with star Group 1 producers such as Gold Anthem and Scandinavia.
Meanwhile, some of the Written Tycoon foals that have already hit the ground this season include progeny of black-type winners Curtana, Girl Gone Rockin', Gregers, Kulgrinda, Miss Promiscuity, Rockolicious, Spinning Jenny and Zamzam.
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