Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williamson has seen a bit of the old spark back in Wrote To Arataki that he hopes will lead to another Stakes win at Sandown.
Wrote To Arataki resumes in the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, a race the mare also won in 2023.
That year the race was over 1300m and run on the Hillside track with this year’s edition on the Lakeside track.
Williams said Wrote To Arataki had almost been retired at the end of her last campaign, but as it was too late to find a stallion the decision was made to have another autumn campaign.
“This prep she seems good,” Williams said.
“We were never that confident about her last prep off her trials. She just seemed to be a couple of lengths off her best.
“We couldn’t fault her all the way through the way she looked or galloped at home, but we just felt that she wasn’t going as well as she can.
“So, we’ve tried a few things different this time.”
For a change of scenery, Wrote To Arataki was floated to Balnarring where she did some pre-training with Cheryl Weller on the recommendation of one of the mare’s owners.
Williams explained the only time Wrote To Arataki left his Warrnambool base was to race, trial and gallop since she was purchased in New Zealand.
He said that seemed to give Wrote To Arataki a new outlook on being a racehorse as has the removal of earmuffs from her race day gear.
“We took those off in her last trial, and it was a trial that we would have seen from her two preps ago,” Williams said.
“We think we’re going OK, but until the acid gets applied on Saturday, we won’t really know where we are.
“We put the earmuffs on her because she wouldn’t settle in her races, she was wanting to do it too hard all the time.
“They worked well at the time, but being a bit older now, I don’t think she needs them, and she needs to hear the others to switch on a bit.”
Williams said Wrote To Arataki was likely to remain in Melbourne for an autumn campaign, but her form may dictate whether she could be sold as a potential broodmare in the months ahead.
“Unless she was going really good, she might go to that Chairman’s Sale in Sydney this year, but if she gets through Saturday she could go to Frances Tressady (at Flemington) in a fortnight and follow a mare’s path, but I don’t think any races in Sydney will be on the cards.”
