MATING IS WORTH A WRITE UP

We’ve all been around this industry long enough to know that the laws of probability can tilt heavily against you. That mating you agonised over for weeks has thrown a metaphoric pie in your eye as the result of your cunning plan just tailed off badly in a backwater maiden.

But sometimes they can make you look like a genius: take the decision to send Ras El Hanout to Written Tycoon for her first three years at stud. Inspired!

The result of those visits were three colts – indeed Ras El Hanout’s only progeny at this stage.

The first – currently a 4YO called My Reign – was sent to Singapore last August … he won on Friday at his second start there.

In January, the 3YO from Ras El Hanout – Robert Heathcote’s Smasher (below) – won convincingly on debut Doomben after leading from start to finish.

And, last week, the 2YO ex. Ras El Hanout – a Bjorn Baker flyer named Hanwritten – won a trial at Warwick Farm in the fastest time of the morning and has quality (excuse the pun) written all over him. Not sure when he’s having his first start, but you can rest assured we’ll be watching!

It’s been another good weekend for Written Tycoon – aside from My Reign’s win in Singapore, another 4YO in Power Tycoon (ex. Sister Cinderella by Prince True) got the money in Macau on Friday night, while on Saturday, Xatel Ekwa, lobbed by a length at Newcastle on resuming.

Now a 3-time winner for jockey-cum-trainer, Craig Carmody, Xatel Ekwa (ex. Solar Song by Flying Spur) is a full brother to the multiple stakes placed Andre Roo Hoo and is named after the Hungarian sun goddess who rode through the sky simultaneously on three horses. It only took Dale Spriggs one to get the money at Newcastle.