Proud trainer Richard Litt said it all. “It was obvious from the start that Castelvecchio was a pure athlete, and very fast with a great turn of foot. He always did everything so easily.”
“He was extremely enthusiastic, very, very sound and never had a backward day” with Castelvecchio retiring to Arrowfield, his home of birth and as a yearling graduate.
Described by Arrowfield as a ‘Champagne 2YO, Guineas 3YO and Cox Plate runner-up’ John Messara stated that Castelvecchio was “a horse that simply we have to have.”
Castelvecchio retired the winner of four of his 13 Starts at 1200m, 1600m and 2000m, four placings and over $2.9 million in stakes. Eight of his races were at the elite Group 1 level.
Timeform rated Castelvecchio as co-Champion 2YO on 121 shared with Microphone, ahead of Kiamichi with 118+, Bivouac 116+ and Yes Yes Yes on 116.
Arrowfield Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer declared “Castelvecchio could be one absolutely out of the box – he can be anything” when powering home to win the inaugural $2m Inglis Millennium of 1200m.
In finishing third in the Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes of 1400m, he dead-heating with Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi, and under a length from the winner Microphone.
Two weeks later Castelvecchio ran a race record of 1:33.31sec, the fastest 1600 metres ever by a 2yo at Randwick, to win the Champagne Stakes, and to run down the top-class filly Loving Gaby.
Returning as a Spring 3yo Castelvecchio ran a highly credible second to Shadow Hero in the Spring Champion Stakes of 2000m, in a time of 2:00.79sec.
Stepping up to senior Group 1 company in the weight-for-age WS Cox Plate, he was ridden in a more forward position by jockey Craig Williams, against some 11 Group 1 winners.
Driving forward on rounding the Moonee Valley home turn, Castelvecchio was unable to hold off the subsequent Japanese Horse of The Year Lys Gracieux, with Te Akau Shark third.
In the autumn Castelvecchio took out the Rosehill Guineas of 2000m with Craig Williams having him racing behind the leaders. In gaining the lead at the 200m, he outstayed Prince Fawaz by a half-length.
Purchased by Ottavio and Wendy Galletta on the advice of John Messara, Castelvecchio made $150,000 at the 2017 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, being from his sire Dundeel’s first crop.
Now Castelvecchio stands beside his sire Dundeel at Arrowfield, who in winning six Gr1 events was Australasian Champion Middle Distance Male in 2013-14 in taking out the $4m Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Also last season Dundeel had Super Seth win the Caulfield Guineas, Atyaab the Kenilworth Cape Derby, with his Scarlet Moretta colt selling to James Herron for $750,000 at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to Spring Champion Stakes winner Maid of Heaven and Gr3 Mirrasalo, Castelvecchio is from stakes winning Dehere mare St Therese, the grandam of Precious Memories and Hussy by Choice.
Such was the popularity of news that Written Tycoon will be standing at Arrowfield Stud this season, that he is now fully booked and is to be mated to three-times Horse of The Year Black Caviar.
Last season Written Tycoon had 8 stakes winners with Pippie winning the Oakleigh Plate, Tyzone the Stradbroke Handicap and the Talindert Stakes winner Ole Kirk running third in Champagne Stakes.
Earlier this year at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale his Karuta Queen filly sold for $1.5m to Shamus Mills Bloodstock and Booker, his Oakleigh Plate winner, selling for $1.6m at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
With a 73% winners-runners ratio and the winners of over $74m, Written Tycoon has had 181 winners in the past 13 months, and with-in 30 days the winners of 29 races and six wins in seven days.
Now an establishing dominant sire Written Tycoon has the top-line sons Capitalist, Rich Enuf, Written By and ill-fated Winning Rupert at stud, with his daughters having yearlings sell up to $1.7m at auction.
However, it was Snitzel, who in 2019-20 claimed his fourth consecutive Australian Champion Sires title in siring 175 winners with earnings of over $17.4m and I Am Excited winning The Galaxy.
Snitzel also claimed his third Champion 2YO Sires title last season with Away Game earning $2.72m in stakes in winning the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, and second in the Golden Slipper Stakes.
Already this season Snitzel is leading the Champion Sires and Leading 4YOs tables, while his First Seal colt became his 27 million-dollar yearling, selling for $1.8m at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
