In the G1 Epson(Randwick).....Autumn Boy with JMac as the pilot
other horses who create an interest are...
Idle Flyer
Well Wriiten( Kiwi sensation)
Panova..... carrying a feather
G1 Turnbull Stakes - Flemington
Sir Delius
other horses who create interest
Half Yours
Aeliana
‘I would be very concerned’: Trainer prays rain stays away for unbeaten Kiwi’s Epsom challenge
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh concedes New Zealand form has been “a bit sketchy” in recent times.
And he believes his unbeaten mare Well Written could have been treated better at the weights for her shot at the $1.5 million group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) on Saturday at Randwick, when she races outside New Zealand for the first time.
But he is also confident he has “the right horse for the job” – if the heavy rain stays away.
Well Written, a two-time group 1 winner, is set to make her much-anticipated debut in Australia before taking on star Victorian mare Sheza Alibi in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Randwick on October 31.
The four-year-old arrived on Tuesday night and is staying at the former Leilani Lodge stables at Randwick now leased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
A $32,500 weanling and $80,000 yearling buy before powerhouse Yulong acquired a 50 per cent share a year ago, Well Written took all before her as a three-year-old, winning six times, including a photo-finish victory over subsequent group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes champion Belle Cheval in the $4 million Kiwi (1500m).
The daughter of Written Tycoon returned with a dominant victory in the group 1 weight-for-age Proisir Plate (1400m) four weeks ago at Ellerslie and Marsh said “she looks exceptionally good”.
After drawing well in barrier three, Marsh’s main concern is the possibility of a rain-affected track. The forecast is for a high chance of showers late on Friday and into Saturday, when there is also the potential for thunderstorms. She has never raced on heavy going.
“It’s one of the great handicaps, and it’s exciting to bring an unbeaten horse over,” said Marsh, whose biggest win this side of the Tasman was with Sofia Rose in the 2016 group 1 Australian Oaks.
“We certainly didn’t get the visitors’ draw, and hopefully the weather is good.
“Early on, she trialled up on a wet track and couldn’t really go on that; she ran about fourth or fifth. We call her a New Zealander, but she’s by Written Tycoon, so she’s sort of half New Zealand. But she doesn’t ultimately like wet tracks, so if a storm does come, I would be very concerned.”
Well Written, backed into $3.50 favouritism on Thursday over a drifting Autumn Boy ($4), was given 55 kilograms for the Epsom, a weight that surprised Marsh.
“I’m certainly not one to complain or anything like that, but I didn’t quite probably expect 55,” he said of his first Epsom runner.
“Probably a couple of horses in the race I didn’t expect us to be so close to, so it’s certainly not going to be an easy job with 55, but that’s the way it’s been handicapped.
“I was very surprised when we got half a kilo less than Autumn Boy and where the ratings are, but that’s the way they do it. I guess I’ll stick to my job, and they stick to theirs.”
