Written Tycoon in the news with Masthead

Victorian-based first season sires took centre stage at Mornington on Wednesday when Masthead defeated Emerald Downs in the $250,000 Inglis Premier.  Masthead is the first winner for Eliza Park stallion Written Tycoon and Emerald Downs is by Blue Gum freshman Churchill Downs.

Masthead (2c Written Tycoon – Balsamico by Redoute’s Choice) is trained by Lee Freedman and was a $65,000 buy out of the Lindsay Park draft at the 2010 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  He had been runner-up in the Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley and fourth in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington during the spring carnival.

“He’d had two runs last time in and Lee set him for this race,” winning jockey Craig Williams said.  “I went down and rode him in a trial at Balnarring last week and he went really well against some smart horses.”

Freedman already has brilliant colt Atomic (Commands) heading for the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday week but the Mornington winner gives him a strong back-up in the Group 1 feature.  

Masthead is the first foal from Lindsay Park’s Strathalbyn winner Balsamico.  Second dam Laudemio (Alzao) was a Listed winner of the VRC Red Roses Stakes at Flemington.

Written Tycoon (Iglesia) was a G2 winner of the Todman Slipper at Rosehill and his first runner earned black-type in the spring when Written Consent was runner-up in the Listed Canonbury Stakes at Randwick.

Lindsay Park will offer a Good Journey half-sister to Masthead as Lot 414 at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale commencing on February 28.

Emerald Downs was coming off Moonee Valley victory and was brave in defeat going down by a long neck.  Eliza Park will offer her brother by Churchill Downs as Lot 293 at the Inglis Premier.