All Eyes on Well Written in $4m NZB Kiwi

NZB National Online Yearling Sale graduate Well Written (Written Tycoon) has been a headline act all the way through her three-year-old season, and that looks set to continue after she drew perfectly for Saturday’s $4m NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie.

The barrier draw for the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race took place at Karaka on Tuesday evening, with the undefeated favourite securing gate two.

The Stephen Marsh-trained filly has been an unstoppable force through her five career starts to date, winning them by a combined margin of more than 18 lengths – including the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) by six and three-quarter lengths, the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) by two and a half lengths, and a stunning last-start demolition by six lengths in the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).

Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock bought Well Written for a sale-topping $80,000 from the 2024 NZB National Online Yearling Sale, and she has so far turned that into $1.4m in prize-money. She has the chance to more than double that on Saturday, with the Kiwi’s massive stake further boosted by a $1m Bonus Pool for the winners of selected feature three-year-old races through the season. Well Written won three of those Bonus Eligible races.

Johnson represented Well Written’s connections at the barrier draw on Tuesday and was eagerly looking forward to Saturday’s 1500-metre three-year-old showpiece – the richest race ever run in New Zealand.

“We are thrilled to be in the race and have a runner of her quality in it,” Johnson said. “Regardless of where we drew, we are just happy to be there.

“She has done an amazing job so far and she doesn’t have to prove any more to us. We know there is a lot of expectation around her, but as a stable we are trying to enjoy it and allow as much access to her as we can. 

“Every sport needs their champion to follow, and people tend to gravitate towards her, and hopefully she can do us proud again on Saturday.

“We are thrilled with the way she galloped on Monday. It was a very similar preparation to what we had leading into the TAB Karaka Millions just over a month ago. Her gallop was beautiful, we are very happy with her and the way she has pulled up.

“We won’t need to do a lot with her, she will have a slight bit of work on Thursday up the straight. It is just keeping her happy and healthy.”

Well Written was a short-priced $1.20 favourite with TAB bookmakers prior to the draw, and gate two has done nothing to change that.

Well Written is one of 10 NZB graduates in this year’s NZB Kiwi field, three of them already Group One winners. Remarkably, four of the NZB graduates in the field were sold by Haunui Farm.

• Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) was offered by Haunui Farm in Book 2 of Karaka 2024, where he was bought by Ballymore Stables/Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Catheryne Bruggeman for $75,000. He has had nine starts for two wins, two placings and $485,575 in prize-money, headed by Group One glory in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in November. He is eligible for the $1m Bonus Pool.
• To Bravery Born  (NZ) (Snitzel) was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $200,000 from Curraghmore’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2024. He has earned $169,575 to date from a 10-race career that has produced four wins and a placing, including a third in last season’s Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m) and a fourth in the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m).
• Well Written (Written Tycoon) is a graduate of Brighthill Farm’s NZB National Online Yearling Sale draft. She was bought by Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock for a sale-topping $80,000. The unbeaten filly has already earned more than 17 times that amount in her phenomenal five-race career, headed by runaway performances in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). She is eligible for the $1m Bonus Pool.
• Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes), like Romanoff, was bought by Ballymore Stables/Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Catheryne Bruggeman from Book 2 of Karaka 2024. He was a member of Wentwood Grange’s draft and was bought for $115,000. His six starts have produced two wins, three placings and $283,275 in stakes. He won the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) in the spring and finished second in a photo finish to the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
• La Dorada  (NZ) (Super Seth) was bought by David Ellis – purchaser of last year’s inaugural NZB Kiwi winner Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) – for $190,000 from Waikato Stud’s Karaka 2024 Book 1 draft. She has won five times in a 10-race career and has banked $1.39m, including victories in the $1m Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Group Two Levin Classic (1400m). She also finished third in the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) in January. She is eligible for the $1m Bonus Pool.
• Asakura (Churchill) is the only Australian-trained runner in this year’s race. He was bought by Mitch Freedman Racing for $140,000 from Hallmark Stud’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2024. He has had four starts for two wins and two seconds, including a last-start second in the Group Three CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington, and has earned A$77,440 (NZ$88,686).
• He Who Dares (NZ) (Snitzel) is the third David Ellis-purchased runner in this field, bought for $825,000 from Haunui Farm’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2024. He Who Dares has had eight starts for a win, four placings and $374,160 in stakes. He has been runner-up in the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1400m), the Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m) and the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m).
• Panther (NZ) (Ace High) was offered by Rich Hill Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, where Wexford Stables bought him for $280,000. He has had four starts to date, recording a win and three seconds including a last-start second in the Group Three Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m). He has earned $54,760 so far.
• War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) was purchased by Exempt Bloodstock and Peter Didham Racing for $77,500 from Haunui Farm’s draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2024. War Princess has had 10 starts for five wins, a placing and $202,860 in stakes. She won the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) in December and was a last-start fourth in the $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).
• Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) completes the quartet of NZB Kiwi runners sold by Haunui Farm at Karaka. She was bought from Book 2 by Richardson Racing Stables and Social Racing. She has turned that into $325,575 in prize-money, including a valuable victory in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and second placings in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m).

The winner of the NZB Kiwi will earn $1.2m, with $600,000 for second and $450,000 for third – boosted by another $600,000 for first, $250,000 for second and $150,000 for third with the Bonus Pool. The fourth placegetter will receive $350,000, with $275,000 for fifth and $125,000 for every other runner in the field.

The NZB Kiwi will be run as Race 9 on a star-studded Champions Day card at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 5.48pm.