Well Written Stars With Six-Length Runaway in Karaka Millions 3YO

A huge crowd packed into Ellerslie for Karaka Millions Night on Saturday, including international visitors in town for Karaka 2026, and they were treated to something very special from New Zealand’s most exciting racehorse.

Well Written (Written Tycoon), who was bought for $80,000 by Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock from Brighthill Farm’s draft in the 2024 National Online Yearling Sale, blew her rivals off the track in a stunning six-length runaway. She is now unbeaten in five starts and has earned over $1.4m.

The Stephen Marsh-trained chestnut filly burst on the scene in the spring with wide-margin victories in her first three starts including the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).

She survived a scare to score a narrow win in the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1400m) on Boxing Day, but Marsh was open about the fact that she was going to need that run and would take significant improvement from it.

She was going to have to, coming up against an outstanding field including the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) and runner-up Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes), along with 1000 Guineas runner-up Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) and five other black-type performers.

But it turned into a one-horse race. After settling in midfield, Matt Cartwright pushed the button in the straight and it was all over. Well Written blasted past He Who Dares (NZ) (Snitzel) like he was standing still, and she powered clear to win by six lengths.

“She’s the best horse I’ve ever ridden,” Cartwright said. “She is an absolute weapon. It’s so exciting.

“We got the right run, I got through at the right time, and wow – I nearly fell off the back of her.

“I’ve always wanted to just ride her with a bit of cover. She drops her head and relaxes, and then she can show that turn of foot. I think we’ve seen a very special win today.

“I’m speechless. She’s a very, very good horse. I think she’s right up to Australia’s best.”

Marsh is starting to see Well Written as one of the best horses to grace his Cambridge stable.

“I was a shade of green before her last start, but relatively relaxed today,” he said. “She paraded a lot better.

“Everything went well early in the race, even though she was possibly a length or so further back than I might have thought. Then you just saw her come up underneath Matt.

“We’ve seen something pretty special. I’m just absolutely over the moon.

“Is she the best we’ve had? I hope she continues the way she’s going, and then we’ll definitely say she is.

“She’s awesome and she just keeps on improving, which is very, very exciting.

“She makes me feel bloody good. This is why we all do it. It helps us get out of bed. I love seeing the owners so exciting, and she’s getting a real following and hasn’t let anyone down yet.

“We’ll just play around with her now, but you’ll definitely see her in the NZB Kiwi (1500m).”

Second-placed He Who Dares was bought by David Ellis for $825,000 from Haunui Farm’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2024. He has had eight starts for a win and four placings, earning $374,160.

The third placegetter was last year’s $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) heroine La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth), who has now earned more than $1.38m from a 10-start career that has produced five wins and two placings. Ellis bought her for $190,000 from Waikato Stud’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2024.

Fourth place went to War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag), who picked up the $200,000 Book 2 Bonus for the first horse across the finish line that was offered in Book 2 of Karaka 2024. War Princess was bought for $77,500 from Haunui Farm’s draft by Exempt Bloodstock and Peter Didham Racing. She has had 10 starts for five wins, two placings and $202,860 in stakes – an amount that almost doubles to $402,860 when the Book 2 Bonus is factored in.

Vendor	Brighthill Farm
Purchaser	Stephen Marsh Racing/Dylan Johnson Bloodstock (Waikato)
Breeding	Written Tycoon – Mozzie Monster
Sale	Lot 36, 2024 National Online Yearling Sale, $80,000
Breeder	Mr D Digney
Owner	Yulong Investment NZ Ltd, 8 Mates Syndicate, W L Bolton, Ms S E Bourke, N V Burnside, J Carter, V Carter ONZM, P Dench, N N Dobson, J R Gray, S W Hawkings, J Lewis, Rayas Bloodstock Ltd, P L Sparrow, Vencedor Partnership, M & R Yortt