New Juvenile Stakes-Winner for Written Tycoon

Tara Madgwick - Saturday December 9

Te Akau Racing was on top of the two-year-old podium at Trentham on Saturday, with their untapped filly Captured By Love running out a dominant victor in the Gr.2 Mode Technology Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m).

Captured By Love dominates her juvenile rivals at Trentham claiming the Gr.2 Mode Technology Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m). Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

Captured By Love dominates her juvenile rivals at Trentham claiming the Gr.2 Mode Technology Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m). Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

This year’s edition of the juvenile feature drew a strong 11-horse field, with four individual race winners and several with competitive form behind the likes of current Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) Fixed Odds favourite Velocious ($3).

A daughter of prominent sire Written Tycoon, Captured By Love put away a small field with ease on debut at Tauherenikau last month, which saw the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained runner close a $3.80 second-favourite behind Red Sea ($2.50) for the $175,000 feature.

Enjoying the services of leading rider Opie Bosson, Captured By Love bounced from barrier three and descended strongly down the Trentham chute to take up the pace making role alongside Hard Attack. As the challengers began to loom at the 400m, Bosson had barely moved on the filly and she drew away comfortably to score by a dominant three length margin from the Tony Pike-prepared Poetic Champion.

Captured By Love was nominated by Walker as the pick of the Te Akau trio for the race and so it proved as stablemate Dream Of The Moon closed nicely for third, while debutant Donna Chiara did well for seventh.

“She’s a beautiful filly, Opie was pretty bullish about her and sometimes the hardest thing Opie looks at is whether they’re quiet enough for him to ride,” Mark Walker said.

“She’s got size and strength which will count for a lot later on. She’s got a good future.”

 

Captured by Love was a $525,000 MM purchase from Milburn Creek.

Captured by Love was a $525,000 MM purchase from Milburn Creek.

Advertisement

Captured By Love was a A$525,000 purchase by David Ellis CNZM at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and was bred by Makybe and presented for sale by Milburn Creek. She is he first foal of Moldova, a lightly raced metro winner by Snizel from the family of Group winners Savvy Nature, Addictive Nature and further back there is Group I winner Hasahalo. 

Milburn Creek will offer the yearling half-brother by Too Darn Hot (GB) to Captured by Love as Lot 973 at Magic Millions 2024.

Captured by Love is the 59th stakes-winner for Yulong based champion sire Written Tycoon.

The Wakefield was a particularly special victory for the Te Akau Racing principal on his 70th birthday.

Happy birthday to our team leader David Ellis, that’ll be a special win for him today and he bought her at Magic Millions,” Walker said.

The filly is ineligible for the upcoming Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) event, however not for the Australian equivalent (Magic Millions 2YO Classic, 1200m) in mid-January. Although the A$3 million carrot on the Coast is tempting, Walker will consider the welfare and longevity of the talented filly before taking the plunge across the Tasman so early in her career.

“I think longer term, she’s got a really bright future so whether that’s the right thing to do I’m not sure,” he said.

“We don’t like making decisions on raceday, it’s quite a trip down here so we’ll get her home for a few quiet days and by the middle of next week we should have an idea.”

Walker commended Bosson’s efforts to get down to Captured By Love’s 55kg carded weight as the champion jockey typically ranges around the 56-57kg mark.

“He worked pretty hard at it during the week, full credit to him.”

Bosson has paired with many of Te Akau’s brightest juvenile stars over the past decade and was complimentary of their latest black-type winning charge.

“She was just always cruising underneath me. She had a bit of a look around, she spotted just about everything on the course but she’s got that big long stretch about her, a big strong filly too,” he said.

“She’s just a natural, she’d probably be better chasing them, but we drew in close and just cruised up to the leaders. She was just too good.

“It’s hard to tell just yet (how good she is) but she’s doing everything the right way, she was pretty much untapped in that race so there’s plenty more gears left.”

Bosson has been well-travelled this spring with several trips across to Australia to partner Te Akau’s star mares Imperatriz and Skew Wiff, and hinted another could be on the cards in the New Year.

“There’s another horse in mind that I’m trying to get them to take (to Magic Millions), we do love a trip away so we’ll see how we go,” he said. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

 

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Spirit of Boom Joins Century Club
As we move into February and the autumn carnivals start to kick off the race to be Champion Australian Sire by earnings will heat up and on the front of individual winners we have a dead heat at the top with five stallions now in the century club after Spirit of Boom hit his ton at Sandown on Saturday.
Cambridge Stud Bred Ima Brazen One Salutes
Progressive sprinting mare Ima Brazen One delivered on the promise she showed early in her career with an impressive victory at New Plymouth on Saturday.
Remarkable Tale Of How Newcastle Trio Bred A Hong Kong Star
A trio of Newcastle racing enthusiasts who became hobby breeders with a mare who won only one country race in NSW and was purchased for $3000 can now lay claim to breeding a Hong Kong star.
Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale Online
The 2025 catalogue for the sale that provides more incentives to buyers than any other, the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, is now online
Torryburn Stud Classic Stars – Variety is Spice of Life
Five years ago Torryburn Stud arrived at Inglis Classic with a draft of eight horses and sold all of them with a colt by Deep Field from Raheights topping the sale at $380,000 before going on to fame and fortune in Hong Kong as Group I winner Voyage Bubble, so what are they offering at Riverside Stables this week?
Aussie Owner Buys into NZ Oaks Favourite
Prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir is looking to repeat history in this weekend’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa, after buying into the $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) favourite Leica Lucy on Monday.
Captured by Love Wins G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic
Despite clearly not enjoying the testing underfoot conditions on offer at New Plymouth, exciting juvenile filly Captured by Love showed plenty of courage to retain her unbeaten record when taking out the Gr.3 Platinum Homes New Plymouth Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m)
Unbeaten Written Tycoon Filly Wins G2 Matamata Breeders
All roads now lead to the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) for Captured By Love, after the talented juvenile maintained her unbeaten status in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors LTD Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).
SA Thoroughbred Breeders Horse of the Year 23/24 - Benedetta
Classy mare and Group 1 winner Benedetta (Hellbent x Whatalovelyday) was named the SPORTSBET SA Thoroughbred Breeders HORSE OF THE YEAR on Saturday night.
Sires With Winners - Sunday February 2
Here is the full list of 57 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.