Written Tycoon began Caulfield’s premier day with season prizemoney of $3.2 million and five stakes victories, including Ole Kirk’s Golden Rose & Pippie’s Moir Stakes at Group 1 level.
Then Dirty Work, Odeum & Ole Kirk got down to business. By day’s end Written Tycoon had added two of Australian racing’s most coveted prizes, the Caulfield Guineas & Thousand Guineas, plus the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes, to his record, and his progeny earnings had increased to $5.3 million.
That gives him a clear $1.9 million lead on both the General Sires’ & 3YO Sires’ Premierships and cements his place among Australia’s elite stallions.
Arrowfield’s Chairman John Messara says, “It’s been a brilliant day for Written Tycoon and it’s a real privilege for Arrowfield to have him on our 2020 roster. The results he’s compiling this season are very well-deserved by the stallion, his syndicate, Woodside Park Stud, and all the breeders who have supported him.
“We knew Written Tycoon had served a large book of quality mares in 2016 which gave him a solid platform for the next stage of his career, but it’s fair to say the speed of his progress has exceeded our expectations!
“He’s now receiving a whole new level of support in the Hunter Valley, including around 40 Arrowfield mares, among them Champion 3YO Filly Shoals and her dam The Broken Shore.”
Written Tycoon is the first stallion since Sovereign Edition, whose daughters Surround & Savoir triumphed in 1976, to sire the winners of both Guineas in the same year.
Ole Kirk became the second colt, after The Autumn Sun in 2018, to complete the Golden Rose–Caulfield Guineas double and he did it with iron resolve, chasing down Aysar and Grandslam in the final 200 metres.
Ole Kirk is trained by Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes for a Neil Werrett-led group of owners including Ric Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm which bred & sold the colt from Naturale (by Bel Esprit), a full sister to World Champion Sprinter Black Caviar and half-sister to current top 5 sire All Too Hard.
The colt was purchased for $675,000 by International Thoroughbred Solutions at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale. He now goes to the spelling paddock with earnings of just over $2 million from his eight-start, 3-win career to date.
Odeum’s rise to Group 1 success has been even faster than Ole Kirk. At only her fourth start, she skipped clear in the Thousand Guineas G1 to defeat Personal & Not A Single Doubt’s daughter Instant Celebrity by 1.75 lengths.
Odeum was bred by Newhaven Park Stud from the stakes-placed Movie (by Red Ransom), also the dam of million-dollar earner & Listed winner Goodfella (by Snitzel). Offered at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, she was purchased for $420,000 by agent Sheamus Mills who races her with Newton Thoroughbreds & Chesapeake Thoroughbreds. He recalled buying the filly on Twitter: Good night. Remember it well – great example of sliding door moments- went over our budget and one more bid she was someone else’s. Thankfully it didn’t happen!
Odeum’s Guineas is the first Group 1 victory for the training partnership of Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr, and a repeat Group 1 success for the combination of Price and jockey Michael Walker who won the 2017 Caulfield Guineas with Not A Single Doubt’s son Mighty Boss.
Rounding out Written Tycoon’s stunning treble was Ole Kirk’s stablemate, the 4YO entire Dirty Work who powered home from the rear of the field to land the $300,000 Schillaci S. 1100m G2 from Diamond Effort & Octane.
Bred by Rifa Mustang and bought for $800,000 from Sledmere Stud at Inglis Easter by Spendthrift Farm, Dirty Work is the second foal of Maidel (by Danzig’s son Ad Valorem), a half-sister to Group winner Gamay and stakeswinner Meidung. Maidel has a yearling filly by Written Tycoon.
Written Tycoon’s 430 foals in his 2017, 2018 & 2019 crops conceived on fees of $45,000, $80,000 & $100,000 give him an exceptional base from which to grow his current lifetime record of 37 stakeswinners, including 11 Group 1 winners.
As Woodside Park Stud’s Chief Executive James Price says, “There is so much upside with this horse….We’re looking ahead to the next few years of Written Tycoon – onward and upwards.”
