WEEKEND WRIT LARGE

It might have been a head bobber, but Barry Campbell appears to have a very exciting 2YO in Grand Tycoon, who prevailed in the last stride over 900m at Hobart yesterday.

The youngster was first sighted in a Devonport trial last month, but then led all the way on debut for an almost three length demolition over the same trip as yesterday’s win.

Out of the Grand Royale mare, Scottattitude, Grand Tycoon made it a weekend double for Written Tycoon following on from impressive performance by Liam Birchley’s Write Cheek (from the Jetball mare Kacheek) who flew home – much to the delight of punters – over 1200m at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Ain't life grand!

GOD’S ON A MISSION

God’s Own’s ever consistent, Onamissionfromgod (ex. Carbonated by Kenny’s Best Pal) notched up his fourth win (along with 10 placings) yesterday – his second victory in 12 days at Kilmore.

Weird as it may seem, this was only Onamissionfromgod’s second win on a Sunday!

BEL – 5 IN 2

Bel Esprit has risen to equal 4^th on the Australian Sires’ chart by winners with five winners in two days: four of them on Saturday along with another stakes performance by Gillian Heinrich’s consistent sprinter, Audacious Spirit.

Colin Little’s Work The Line (ex. My Sweet Pamela by Kenmare) got the ball rolling with a confident win over 1200m at Cranbourne on Friday night, his fourth win (plus a second) from only nine outings.

But it was the following day that Bel Esprit really came into his own: the evergreen Esprit de Bullet (ex. Beat the Bullet by Bite the Bullet) grabbed his second win in town on the trot with a 1000m victory at Morphettville (edging out another Bel Esprit in Belfast Boy in the process); another of Bel Esprit’s first croppers in Royal Express (ex. Hennessia by Hennessy) produced win No. 6 when romping home by seven lengths at Alexandra; Greg Eurell’s Hludowig (evidently German for Ludgwig) – who hails from the Spartacus mare Spartica – ‘scored’ brilliantly at Mornington in his first run in over five months; while Bayonet Charge (ex. Inquiring Lady by Lord Ballina) made Hay while the sun shined with a six length victory for Wayne Carroll.

As for Audacious Spirit (ex. Roskeel by Zeditave), he held on gamely after carrying the load throughout to snap up third in the Keith Noud Handicap-LR at Eagle Farm behind 4-time stakes winner Steel Zip and Golden Slipper winner Phelan Ready.

Audacious Spirit (below) has now been placed five times at stakes level.

By the by, for all the latest and greatest on Bel Esprit, take a look at Brian Donohoe’s blog : http://belesprit09.wordpress.com

Brian not only keeps a close eye on all things Bel Esprit, his regularly updated blog covers a wide range of industry news as today’s posts about the Japan Cup, NSW Racing, Barakey, Asian buyers and the success of imported runners shows.

BUSHRANGERS FLY HIGH AT GOFFS

It will be interesting to see how the first crop of Aussie-bred Bushrangers sell next year … they’re certainly considered gold in the northern hemisphere.

After recording solid prices at yearling sales in both England and Ireland over the past couple of months, they were at it again for the Goffs November Foal Sale this week with Bushranger’s colt from Lady Meagan knocked down for €53,000 ($65,603), while another of his colts fetched €48,000 ($59,414) during the final session of the 3 day auction.

(Lady Meagan is by the Royal Academy Breeders’ Cup Mile hero, Val Royal, who stood at Eliza Park from 2002-2004).

MAGNUS FILLY GLISSTENS

If you enjoy playing the futures market, make sure you ‘black book’ promising Magnus filly, Maglissa, an impressive winner over 1208m at Sale yesterday.

In her first run in six months, the filly has returned a much more mature performer and came from the clouds at Sale to register a confident victory for Hancox Bloodstock and trainer Robbie Griffiths.

Shelley Hancox snapped up the Magnus filly from Eliza Park’s 2011 Melbourne Premier draft and she is out of the Danzero mare Danglissa, giving her a double cross of both Danehill and Vain.

Adding considerably to Maglissa’s residual is the fact that Danglissa is a Group One winner of 6 from 1200 to 1600m, with her Flight Stakes victory highlighting a career which also included victories in the Tea Rose-G2, Queen of the Turf-G2 and Furious Stakes-G3.

Accordingly, her immaculately bred daughters are now visiting the nation’s premium stallions – not the least of them being the Fusaichi Pegasus mare, Meduesa, dam of Lonhro’s 2YO stakes winner, Euryale (2011 VRC Gibson Carmichael Stakes).

Magnus