Ellis Strikes for Star Written Tycoon Colt

Te Akau Principal David Ellis has purchased the last five Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winners and he believes he may have bought his sixth at Karaka on Sunday. Ellis went to $625,000 to secure Lot 52, the Written Tycoon colt out of Group 1 performer Pussy O’Reilly, from Woburn Farm’s draft. Ellis said he was immediately taken by the colt when he first inspected him at Woburn Farm prior to Christmas, and he just had to have the yearling bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan. “He was bred by Sir Patrick Hogan and we fell in love with him when we first saw him in early December. I thought he was a colt we needed to have,” Ellis said. The Karaka Million 2YO will be an obvious target for the colt, but Ellis is eyeing some other juvenile targets across the Tasman with his new acquisition. “We are looking for horses that can win a Karaka Million and go on and be a Golden Slipper colt, and then come back and stand at stud,” Ellis said. “This colt met all of that criteria. He is very athletic and had Karaka Million written all over him.” While the $625,000 purchase price was a bit more than Ellis expected to go to, he said he was delighted to secure the colt he has judged in the top three in the sale. “I went a bit more than I thought I would have to, but for these really top colts you have got to pay a little bit more,” he said.

Written Tycoon's Lot 52 sold for $625,000 (pic: Trish Dunell)