3 minute read
Marnix made the perfect start when he landed the Connect Tel Maiden 2YO Plate at Geelong.
The James Cummings-trained Marnix (2 c Written Tycoon - Dutch Romance by Dutch Art) made the perfect start to his career when he landed the Connect Tel Maiden 2YO Plate (1250m) at Geelong yesterday.
The son of Woodside Park Stud's lynchpin stallion Written Tycoon (Iglesia), Marnix was sent off the 2/1 favourite and he gave his supporters very little to worry about, coming round the field with 200 metres left to travel, eventually pulling away to beat Cloudbreaker (Fastnet Rock) by a length and a half.
"He has a great attitude," winning jockey Brad Rawiller told Racing.com.
"It's always a concern when you draw the outside on these babies, especially with this wind.
"James (Cummings) was terrific and pretty much gave me an open book to ride him how the race turned out. He travelled up nicely and gave me a strong feel before the turn but with his turn of foot he put them away a little too soon.
"He's got a lot of upside. He was a little bit stubborn loading into the gates, but he has a great attitude for a bull and he is only going to improve.
"It's great to get a nice one for James and Godolphin, they're an incredible team and it's nice to be a part of it.
Purchased by Godolphin for $210,000 at last year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from the Woodside Park Stud draft, Marnix is out of stakes-placed British-bred Dutch Art (Medicean) mare Dutch Romance, who was purchased by Damon Gabbedy's Belmont Bloodstock for 85,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2014.
Dutch Romance is herself a sister to Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Dutch Connection, further back this is family as Listed-winning pair La Vita E Bella (Definite Article) and Bell Tusa (Sri Pekan).
In 2019, Dutch Romance foaled a sister to Marnix, while Woodside Park will offer the colt's brother at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in March and he is catalogued as Lot 138.
The Woodside Park Stud-based sire has 15 lots set to go through the ring at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, which gets underway on February 9, while he has 25 lots catalogued at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, whose three-day run kicks off in Melbourne on March 1.
Written Tycoon enjoyed a fruitful time during Book 1 of last week's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, selling 24 yearlings for an aggregate of $6,475,000 at an average of $269,792 and he was responsible for the third highest seller - the most expensive filly - when Seamus Mills parted with $1.5 million of the yearling out of Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Karuta Queen (Not A Single Doubt).
