In David Lynch’s film noir classic, Wild At Heart, Lula Fortune delivers the unforgettable line, “You got me hotter than Georgia asphalt.” and one could be forgiven for thinking it applies easily to the stallion Written Tycoon right now.
Last Saturday at Caulfield he had three Group winners with Ole Kirk and Odeum completing an historic Gr1 Caulfield Guineas / 1000 Guineas double with Dirty Work winning the Gr2 Schillaci Stakes.
This following on from Pippie winning the Gr1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley and Enthaar making a record-breaking debut in the Gr3 Gimcrack Stakes the previous Saturday.
The victory of Odeum gives Written Tycoon his 11th Gr1 winner from eight full crops of racing age with his ninth crop of two-year-olds just commencing and so far in the first three months of the Australian racing season he is represented by six stakes winners.
Written Tycoon, pictured with Tommy Kehoe (pic: Joan Faras), posted his fifth straight top 10 finish on the Australian General Sires’ Premiership last season with $10.9 million in earnings and 8 stakes winners, including Group 1 winners Pippie and Tyzone.
And while he is currently hotter than Georgia asphalt, it has not always been so for the stallion with blue collar origins.
Bred and sold in Queensland by Daandine Pastoral, which also bred and sold his Gr1 winning son Capitalist, Written Tycoon sold to trainer Grahame Begg for $50,000 at the 2004 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling sale.
An impressive winner on debut, Written Tycoon went on to win the Gr2 Todman Slipper Trial Stakes and finished unplaced in the Golden Slipper after which he was purchased by Sydney-based eye surgeon Sheriff Iskander.
Originally retired to Eliza Park Stud in Victoria in 2007 at a fee of $8,250, that first-crop included stakes winners Howmuchdoyouloveme, Vibrant Rouge, Trump and It Is Written.
In 2009 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale Written Tycoon was sold for $625,000 on behalf of Eliza Park and Iskander, while a later sale in 2013 – for an undisclosed figure – saw Written Tycoon re-located to Victoria’s Woodside Park.
Written Tycoon stood for $13,750 and, in his first two seasons at Woodside covered 315 mares. He stood the 2015 season at $19,800 before going to $49,500 in 2016 following a year that saw him represented by Gr1 winners Capitalist, Luna Rossa and Music Magnate.
In 2018 and 2019 Written Tycoon was advertised at $110,000 before the decision was taken to relocate the chestnut to Arrowfield in the Hunter Valley for the 2020 season where he is advertised at $77,000.
One thing which does stand Written Tycoon apart is his consistency – he has sired a new stakes winner each season and while his best runner is the Golden Slipper Stakes winner Capitalist, his offspring generally improve with age.
If there is a blind spot it is his male bias with 24 stakes winners compared to 13 females however, 1000 Guineas winner Odeum and Gimcrack winner Enthaar are doing their bit to redress the balance.
Pedigree wise he is by the Gr2 winning sprinter Iglesia, a son of Last Tycoon, and his first four broodmare sires – Kenmare, Vain, Better Boy and Summertime were all Champion sires.
He has no inbreeding in five generations although his dam Party Miss is 4×4 to My Babu and to date there does not appear to be any significant trends with his winners, although Danehill appears in pedigrees of Gr1 winners Capitalist, Booker, Music Magnate and La Luna Rossa as well as stakes winners Teleplay, Written Dash, It Is Written and his recent Gimcrack Stakes winner Enthaar is out of a mare by Not A Single Doubt so it is safe to assume he will get more of these at Arrowfield.
Written Tycoon’s great grandsire Try My Best is a grandson of Best In Show and Written Tycoon has Gr1 winners Written By, Booker and La Luna Rossa are out of mares carrying Best In Show relations Umatilla and Redoute’s Choice while his Gr3 winner Hightail is 5×5 Sex Appeal through brothers Try My Best and El Gran Senor.
One of his affinities is with Mr. Prospector-line mares, yielding 8 stakes winners including Golden Slipper winner Capitalist (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Stradbroke winner Tyzone (Hussonet mare).
He already has sons at stud in Capitalist, Written By, Winning Rupert and Rich Enuff while Ole Kirk has already booked his place at stud with Dirty Work looking similar for Spendthrift.
At 18-years-old and a proven Gr1 stallion, Written Tycoon is arguably at the height of his powers although it does not seem fanciful to suggest his best is yet to come.