A gloomy old day at Sandown was brightened up by a first starter with a future.
The Grahame Begg-trained Written By made a belated start to his career in Saturday's Cameron Thurley's Bucks Day Plate (1000m). After looking like he was spinning wheels at the 300-metre mark under Jordon Childs, the son of Written Tycoon put his mind on the job and hit the line strongly. He was a length ahead of Tony McEvoy-trained Sanctimonious (Foxwedge) who finished a long-neck ahead of his more fancied stablemate Logan River (Snitzel). (photo Grant Courtney ).
Bred by Grahame Begg's father Neville, Written By has been in work for some time and has always been highly regarded by the stable.
'This fella has shown well above average ability all the way through," Begg said.
"He's had a bit of a stop-start, start to his career. He went to the jumpouts and won at Mornington but didn't get passed because he had a few barrier antics.
"We had to send him back to Shane Stockdale to put a bit more polish on him. I must say he did a fantastic job.
"He is a very resilient type of horse to be able to put up with everything and get to the races.
"We did have aspirations of running him over the spring carnival, either Caufield or Flemington. The horse has shown plenty of natural ability at home. He never leaves an oat and is tough. He's got a very bright future.
"He's eligible to run in the Inglis race in Sydney in a couple of weeks time so it's a conundrum where we go there or put him away for the autumn."
A half-brother to three winners, Written By was consigned to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale by Basinghall Farm but failed to make his $200,000 reserve.
Out of the winning Tobougg mare Yau Chin, Written By comes from a family devoid of black-type until the fifth generation.
That came with the Kaoru Star mare No Finer a sister to the top-class racehorses Marceau, Zasu and Joy Love and the dam of four stakes winners including the Group 1 Australian Guineas winner and top-class sire Pins and the Group II Shannon Stakes winner Nips.
Yau Chin has a yearling brother to Written By and a colt foal by Fiorente (IRE).