CHAMPION two-year-old colt and Group One winner, Written By, has been retired to Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley on Monday 15 April.
Trained by Mornington-based racehorse trainer Grahame Begg and raced by Hall of Fame trainer, and Grahame’s father, Neville Begg, the speedy son of Written Tycoon has been key to Grahame’s successful return to the training ranks.
The former Sydney-based trainer of 25 years spent more than three years out of the game before returning and landing his first Group One victory back with Written By in the 2018 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m).
“He was the catalyst for us to kick off again,” Begg said.
The homebred colt kicked off his career in perfect fashion winning his first four starts in succession highlighted by his dominant two and a half-length victory of the Blue Diamond Stakes.
Sent to Sydney for the Golden Slipper, Written By was an easy winner of the Group Two ATC Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) and was then the first colt home in the Golden Slipper behind Estijaab, Oohood and Sunlight.
The homebred colt went on to run some great races in his three-year-old season including a fourth placing in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes where he finished one and a half lengths off the victor, Sunlight.
Having trained Written By’s sire, Written Tycoon, and raced his mother Yau Chin, Begg said there was always something a little bit special about racing the colt.
“There was a lot of synergy there,” he said.
“He was pretty straight forward as far as soundness goes, he was just a full on two-year-old – he just got up and ran.”
“I would have liked his three-year-old runs to be a little bit better but in saying that he was beaten just under two-lengths in the Coolmore. Then in the Lightning Stakes he only got beaten about two lengths in that, so he really has been a very, very good horse.”
But for his career on the racetrack, Begg said it felt like the right time to retire his star colt.
“If we waited another 12 months, he’d be four rising five and for us it was a good time for him to head to stud,” he said.
“He arrived safe and sound. He’s looking outstanding and looked brilliant when he left.”
Written By will now stand his first season at Widden Stud at a fee of $24,750 including GST.
First published in the Mornington News – 23 April 2019
