December 2, 2024The Playwright’s debut goes to script
Newhaven Park bred, raised and sold The Playwright made a winning start to her racing career when leading from start to finish on debut at Rosehill Gardens in a $160,000 juvenile event staged over 1100m.
Raced in the prominent livery of the Tricolours Syndication Company, the daughter of Widden Stud sire Written By was first to jump under rider Regan Bayliss but wasn’t allowed everything her own way racing on the pace, being contested for the lead in the middle stages.
However, after establishing a clear advantage on her rivals in the straight, the precocious newcomer dug deep to hold off her rivals for a determined win.
The Playwright is a member of the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable and put herself firmly in contention for a crack at the 2025 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) in January.
Speaking immediately after the win, Bott remarked: “She sustained a bit of pressure throughout the race, and she kept kicking. She was there to be beaten but she kept finding.”
Bott was also quoted as saying: “She has shown tremendous improvement throughout the preparation. The improvement we saw from her first trial to her second was very encouraging, and I thought late in that trial she floated around, but every time they challenged her she responded … that is exactly what we saw today.”
Tricolours racing director James Moss was in total agreement with Bott, stating on the company’s website: “That was a very tough win from our filly. She put away a very high profile group of 2yr olds today and was taken on the whole way — but she just wouldn’t lie down.
“The filly has an all-female ownership group and I am absolutely thrilled for them. And a masterful training performance from Gai and Adrian, it’s so very exciting. Let’s see how she pulls up from this run and we will go from there.”
Bought for $60,000 out of Book 2 of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, The Playwright has now been earmarked for valuable lead-up races staged at Wyong and in Brisbane later this month.
The Playwright is the second very notable juvenile winner to have been bred, raised and sold by Newhaven Park through Book 2 of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Cool Aza Beel, a $55,000 purchase, is unbeaten after two starts in New Zealand for Te Akau Racing.
A half-sister (by Xtravagant [NZ]) to The Playwright is to be offered by Newhaven Park in our 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. Catalogued as Lot 1397, she is the fifth foal of the stakes-placed Snitzel mare Suparparma whose first four foals to race are now all winners.