3 minute read

A big and eclectic mix of connections celebrated the brilliant Oakleigh Plate by the classy Written Tycoon mare Booker at Caulfield on February 23.

Booker is the third Oakleigh Plate winner trained by Mathew Ellerton, and all have been females.

His first came with the Mr Greeley filly Miss Kournikova in 2001 followed by River Dove (Hurricane Sky) in 2003.

Booker (Written Tycoon x Noondie by Flying Spur) was previously a G2 and G3 winner and was fourth in last year’s Oakleigh Plate. She becomes the sixth G1 winner for her sire.

However the man taking most pleasure from Booker’s win would be prominent owner Barrie Griffiths, who purchased the mare at the 2016 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $230,000 from the Mill Park Stud draft.

She has now won four times from 15 starts for prize-money earnings of $840,650.

Griffiths and his wife, Midge, have owned the winners of 14 G1 races including Melbourne Cup winner Tawrrific, Caulfield Cup winner Mannerism and classic winners Northwood Plume and Azzurro.

“In all the years I’ve been going to the Melbourne sales she was, quite literally, the best looking filly I had seen,” Griffiths recalled.

“Not surprisingly, she was a bit more expensive than what I normally pay for a yearling so I asked Nick and Gail Psaltis to come into the horse as well, along with her breeders Bill Rigg and his wife and fellow breeders Tony and Liz Freebairn.

“We usually buy around half a dozen fillies every year and place them with Mat and Simon.

“We then sell the good ones after they have finished racing.”

Booker’s dam Noondie is a half sister to Perth stakes winner Tranquility and hails from the family of dual G1 Umrum.

Booker also hails from the same family as G3 winner Tan Ta De Lago and Hong Kong champion Sun Jewellery.

Mill Park Stud sold Booker’s 2YO full sister to Bruce Perry Bloodstock for $600,000 at last year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale and will offer a Starspangledbanner half brother in Melbourne next week.

Mill Park graduates in the last 20 years include Divine Madonna, Mummify, Princess Coup, Rebel Raider, Southern Speed, Undoubtedly, Gold Guru, Happy Trails and Devil Moon.

Booker’s part owners and breeders Tony and Liz Freebairn bred horses in Western Australia for a number of years before purchasing a sheep station at Port Augusta in South Australia 10 years ago.>/b>

“We’ve only got four mares which are all living at Mill Park,” said Liz Freebairn.

“We sold Booker in Melbourne, we purchased her mother Noondie from Melbourne for $50,000 in 2010 and now we’re selling the half brother there.”