Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh concedes New Zealand form has been “a bit sketchy” in recent times.
asserted
form → concede → 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.
uncertain
rain → believe → job
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.
asserted
Written → set → October
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.
asserted
old → arrive → Waterhouse
A $32,500 weanling and $80,000 yearling buy before powerhouse Yulong acquired a 50 per cent share a year ago
asserted
Yulong → acquire → share
, 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).
asserted
Written → take → Kiwi
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”.
asserted
she → return → Ellerslie
After drawing well in barrier three, Marsh’s main concern is the possibility of a rain-affected track.
asserted
concern → draw → track
The forecast is for a high chance of showers late on Friday and into Saturday, when there is also the potential for thunderstorms.
asserted
forecast → be → thunderstorms
She has never raced on heavy going.
asserted
She → race → 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.
asserted
win → ’ → Oaks
“We certainly didn’t get the visitors’ draw, and hopefully the weather is good.
asserted
weather → get → draw
“Early on, she trialled up on a wet track and couldn’t really go on that; she ran about fourth or fifth.
asserted
she → trialle → that
We call her a New Zealander, but she’s by Written Tycoon, so she’s sort of half New Zealand.
asserted
she → call → Tycoon
But she doesn’t ultimately like wet tracks, so if a storm does come, I would be very concerned.”
asserted
I → like → tracks
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.
asserted
that → back → 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.
asserted
it → ’m → 55
“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.
asserted
they → get → it
I guess I’ll stick to my job, and they stick to theirs.”
asserted
they → guess → theirs
Marsh said the Golden Eagle is the main target, and how Well Written performs in her two Randwick runs will determine if she returns to Australia in the autumn.
asserted
she → say → autumn
He was glad to see Belle Cheval frank the New Zealand form in the Vinery at Rosehill, but he remains wary of a class Epsom field also including 2024 winner Ceolwulf and a long list of lightweight chances.
“We’ve come back fresh up as a four-year-old, and four-year-old mares at weight for age predominantly don’t have outstanding records, unless they’re that fair bit better,” he said of the Proisir win.
asserted
he → see → win
“And I like the way she won it.
asserted
she → like → it
She beat a very strong field.
asserted
She → beat → field
She only had two trials, so I think her form will stack up.
asserted
form → have → trials
But I guess you’ve got to say that the New Zealand form has been maybe a little bit sketchy in the past couple of months.
asserted
form → guess → months
“But I also think we’ve got the right horse for the job, I really do.
asserted
I → think → job
“It’s a pretty open Epsom – there’s no $2 pop this year that looks unbeatable.
asserted
that → ’ → ?
I thought it’s quite an even line-up and some of those horses are maybe a touch out of form, but then they probably get into an Epsom quite well.”
asserted
they → think → Epsom
He expects “the most exciting galloper” he has trained to handle the trip well and show she is the finished product.
asserted
she → expect → trip
“She looks a stronger version of herself now than she was at three, and mentally she’s probably a lot better,” he said.
“She used to get a little bit upset around the barriers and all that, but she just seems a lot more the complete article now.
“Her first two trials, I think she was the quickest of all the two-year-olds, but she was just a little bit weak and a little bit frail.
“
asserted
she → look → olds
We gave a little spell and when she came back the next time, she just went ahead leaps and bounds.
asserted
she → give → spell
She just looked a different horse.
asserted
She → look → ?
She’s always showed plenty, but sometimes those horses don’t keep taking that next step, and she just keeps taking it easy.”
asserted
she → show → it
The Aporia
