Deserved Group One for Booker

Tara Madgwick - Saturday February 23
The Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Saturday featured a big field of 18 runners with victory going to talented Written Tycoon mare Booker, a $230,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Mill Park draft for Barry Griffiths.



Winner of the Group II MRC Guineas Prelude last season and fourth in the Oakleigh Plate last year, four year-old Booker produced the best run of her career when surging home out wide to win the 1100 metre sprint by three-quarters of a length over Lonhro colt Encryption.

Booker - images Grant CourtneyPrepared by Matt Ellerton and Simon Zahra, Booker drew wide in gate 14, but was given a great ride by Dean Yendall to produce the best performance of her career.

Matt Ellerton revealed a throat problem had shortened Booker's spring campaign, so he had set the mare for this race first-up.

"We had a chequered spring with her - she had a minor throat problem early in the spring but we've been really plain sailing this prep and she came into this race really well," Ellerton said.

Ellerton will consider a start in the Group I VRC Newmarket Handicap, but is spoiled for choice with Booker, who has a myriad of options going forward.

"She will make her way to Sydney, maybe Brisbane and Adelaide, as there are good races for her everywhere," he said.

Ellerton had previously scored in the Oakleigh Plate with Miss Kournikova (2001) and River Dove (2003) and said Booker compared well physically at least with both those winners.

"She's bigger and stronger than both of them. Miss Kournikova was one of the more talented horses I've ever trained but she just wasn't sound. River Dove won it as a four-year-old and this one's done it as well," he said.

Booker runs for Barry and Midge Griffiths and partners and has the overall record of four wins and five placings from 15 starts with prizemoney in excess of $840,000.

The sixth Group I winner for Woodside Park's Written Tycoon, Booker is the first foal of Noondie, a three-quarter sister by Flying Spur to stakes-winner Tranquility from stakes-winner Creatrix.

Mill Park sold the full brother to Booker at Inglis Premier last year for $600,000 to Bruce Perry Bloodstock and will offer the current yearling from Noondie, a colt by Starspangledbanner at Inglis Premier next week as Lot 348.




Noondie has a weanling colt by Written Tycoon's Golden Slipper winning son Capitalist and is in foal again to Written Tycoon, who covered 160 mares last spring at Woodside Park at a fee of $110,000.




Advertisment
More Reading...
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
GI Sistema Goal for Written Tycoon Filly Captured By Love
Te Akau Racing’s unbeaten filly Captured By Love is set to face her sternest test to date when she heads to Ellerslie on Saturday to contest the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
One To Watch - Geelong
Woodside Park Stud received a nice update for the Written Tycoon colt they will be offering at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale when his two-year-old full brother Marnix made an impressive winning career debut over 1250 metres at Geelong on Friday.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
Five heats for juveniles at Randwick on Thursday produced plenty of interesting winners including an expensive I Am Invincible colt carrying the China Horse Club Colours and a blue-blooded colt by Written Tycoon.