There was no sense of hit and hope in the pedigree match-up that produced Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) hero Private Life (Written Tycoon). The three major elements were so familiar and reassuring it would have felt like getting into bed. For starters there’s Written Tycoon (Iglesia). As attested by his enduring success at age... Read More

There’s an old saying about the relationship between hard work and luck. For Toowoomba chiropractor Chris Barham – who became the breeder of a sixth stakes-winner through Airman (I Am Invincible) last Saturday – it perhaps should be modified: the harder I listen, the luckier I get. Granted, there has to be some dumb luck... Read More

From very nearly losing his life in a dramatic flood when just a yearling, young stallion Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) is now one of the most valuable horses in Australia – a rare jewel indeed. It’s not just the two Group 1s on his resume, two months into his four-year-old season. And it’s not just... Read More

There may only be spring buds so far, but Arrowfield Stud and Anthony Cummings are hoping for a full blossoming from last Saturday’s Randwick winner El Castello (Castelvecchio) that will help put his young sire on the map. The three-year-old first-cropper became Castelvecchio’s (Dundeel) first Saturday metro winner in taking the 1600-metre Benchmark 72 Midway... Read More

The new season is no longer all that new. Results and standings that may have been anomalous are giving way to the more reliable. And though these are still relatively early days, it’s easy to see why Darley – and numerous individual breeders – are growing increasingly wild about Harry Angel (Dark Angel). He started... Read More