VIBRANT TYCOON MARE IS RED HOT

It’s hardly surprising that Mirage Rouge made her way back to Written Tycoon this year.

The West Point mare spent a couple of seasons on the sidelines, but the success of her daughter, Vibrant Rouge, had a lot to do with owner Gaston Khougaz giving her another fling this spring.

Gaston has seen first hand what the mating is capable of, retaining a share in Vibrant Rouge who has displayed red hot form since she debuted with a win at Geelong in July.

Vibrant Rouge – trained by Glenn Thornton – then followed up with a 4 length win at Geelong before a neck second there on the last day of August.

Resuming at Moonee Valley on 30 November, she jumped awkwardly, found trouble turning for home and was held up in the closing stages, but still managed to score with a length and a bit to spare.

Winning at Flemington on Saturday though really showed this mare is well above average and Gaston will undoubtedly be very happy he has a full brother or sister to Vibrant Rouge on the way … nice early cover too!

Meanwhile, Thornton was equally pleased, telling TVN: “She just seems to get there really easy. When the other horse (La Tikka Rose) came at her I thought ‘we’ll see how much she can give, but she dug and was really strong on the line’.”

Thornton said he would aim for some black type races for Vibrant Rogue if she continued to progress, adding that the mare had “answered every challenge”.

GETTING IT WRITE

Written Tycoon definitely made his presence felt over the weekend with It Is Written scoring at the Valley on Friday night and Write Cheek running a solid placing behind Caliente in the Mode Plate-LR at Eagle Farm (caught 7^th over the concluding stages, she flew home to grab some worthy black type).

But maybe Written Tycoon was saving some of his best for last, snaring another double on Sunday when Phoenix Tycoon got up in New Zealand and Ways of a Tycoon proved too good at Geelong.

Bred across the pond and out of the Danasinga mare, Bondi Beauty, Phoenix Tycoon broke through for a well deserved victory at Waipaukurau and is the second Written Tycoon to fly the colours in New Zealand following on from the stakes placed Prestigious Miss.

Meanwhile, Ways of a Tycoon looked very impressive as favourite over 1200m at Geelong and had the race sewn up a fair way out.

Ways of a Tycoon is out of the Honours List mare, Wayzella, a winning granddaughter of Kiwi Group winner Whey They Go.

Based on his run at Geelong, the win won’t be his last.

BEL TOLLS 9 IN 3

Won’t be able to do the individual winners justice without turning this into War and Peace, but Bel Esprit has produced nine winners in the past three days … a double on Friday, four on Saturday and three on Sunday.

Frankly Fast (ex. Frank’s Hack by Marauding) got the ‘weekend’ off to a good start before Comic Star (ex. Comic Dane by Rory’s Jester) won his second on the trot to cap the daily double.

While much of the attention was on Caulfield with victories to Vain Attraction (with another Bel in City of Song grabbing second) and the very promising Miss Softhands, both Austy Coffey’s Rebel Ridge (ex. Cineraria by Encosta de Lago) and the 8-time winner Belcino (ex. Ciento by Century) played a big hand in the ‘quaddie’.

(And let’s not forget the terrific effort of Audacious Spirit who finished just a neck of the pace when fourth in the Group Three George Moore Stakes at Eagle Farm – his second stakes placing in a row).

And then you have Sunday’s trinity: Sue Murphy’s 3YO, Jolly Bel (ex. Jolly’s Folly by Bluebird) kicked off with a comfortable win at favourite, followed by Cleaver (ex. Mill Lady by Straight Strike) who registered win #3 and, finally, Belahi (ex. Manihi Miss by Ark Regal), another winner for owner breeder, Ted Huglin.

Bel Esprit is now firmly ensconced in the top 3 of Australia’s sires chart by winners and it’s worth pointing out that among his 60+ winners for the season, not one of them is called Black Caviar.

BIG DOUBLE FOR GOD

God’s Own continues to climb the national charts by winners, adding another two to the tally with Johanna’s Own lobbing at Mornington on Friday before Sons of God absolutely romped home for a four length score at Eagle Farm yesterday.

Johanna’s Own was bred and is raced by Gaspare Sirianni, who also shares the bills with a number of others including Roy Higgins & Wylie Dalzeil Racing of Moshe fame.

(Another of the part-owners is ‘Eight Pelicans Racing’ … and no, we don’t want to ask!).

Trained by Tony Noonan, Johanna’s Own is out of the Umatilla mare, Johanna, and it was the second win for the lightly raced 4YO.

The somewhat fittingly named, Sons of God was absolutely on song over 1400m at Eagle Farm, leading throughout before pulling away to score by four lengths as favourite.

Racing out of Robert Heathote’s stable, Sons of God has been the model of consistency this time in but has just fallen short – just look at his score sheet since resuming in September … 2^nd at Doomben, 3^rd at Doomben, 2^nd at Eagle Farm, 2^nd again at the Farm, 3^rd at the Farm and, two weeks ago, 2^nd at the Farm. He has not been out of the money once in his last nine starts!

Sons of God is from the stakes placed Celtic Swing mare, Lucky Punch, a half sister to stakes winners Party Boy and Rory’s Classic.

11 IN 2

Huge couple of days for the farm with 11 winners by Eliza Park based stallions on Friday and Saturday.

Bel Esprit leads the way again with 6 winners (and is now equal third on the sires’ chart by winners: just three behind the lead) but God’s Own and Monashee Mountain both chipped in with doubles. And, not to be outdone, Written Tycoon followed up a win at Moonee Valley on Friday night with a terrific stakes third by Write Cheek in the Mode Plate over 1200m at Eagle Farm yesterday.