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Capitalist (Written Tycoon-Kitalpha by Fusaichi Pegasus)
The success of unbeaten juvenile star Capitalist and his sire Written Tycoon have revived memories of one of the first, and best, shuttle sires Last Tycoon (IRE). He was our Champion Sire in 1993-94 when his brilliant son Mahogany was at the height of his powers.
Unfortunately Last Tycoon was also a contemporary of super sire Danehill, who would win the next three sires’ premierships, take a break for two seasons to allow NZ champion Zabeel his days in the sun, and then claim six more premierships in succession up to 2004-05. Danehill’s sons Redoute’s Choice (four), Flying Spur and Fastnet Rock (two) would then go on to claim seven of the next 10 titles with a break for Encosta de Lago (2007-09) and Lonhro (2010-11).
Last Tycoon (Try My Best-Mill Princess by Mill Reef), who died on June 30, 2006 at Arrow Stud in Japan, was at stud in Australia from 1989 until 2002 (missing 1990, ‘91 and 1995, the latter southern season spent in NZ for 58 live foals) and left 719 live foals including Blue Diamond/Australia Made Stakes winner Lady Jakeo, AJC The Galaxy winner and sire Magic of Money, eight-time Gr.1 winner and 1994 Horse of the Year Mahogany (Australian Guineas, Lightning Stakes (2), AJC Derby, VRC Derby, QTC Sires’ Produce, Castlemaine Stakes, Caulfield Guineas), dual NZ Gr.1 winner and champion sire O’Reilly, South African Champion Tracy’s Element, triple Gr.1 winner Tycoon Lil and Blue Diamond winner and sire Knowledge. O’Reilly’s sons at stud include Alamosa, Sacred Falls and Shamexpress, all in NZ.
Last Tycoon’s European Gr.1 stars included Bigstone, short lived Ezzoud and Marju, who all had stud success, while Monde Bleu (GB), Just Awesome and Iglesia were lesser stakes winners who had careers as stallions in Australia. The latter two died young but Iglesia’s branch continues via Written Tycoon.
Bred in Ireland at Richard C. Strauss’s Kilfrush Stud, Last Tycoon was put into training with Robert Collet at Chantilly and showed considerable ability as a sprinter with wins in the Prix d’Arenberg-Gr.3 in 1985 and the King’s Stand Stakes-Gr.1, Nunthorpe Stakes-Gr.1, Prix de Saint-Georges-Gr.3 and Prix du Gros Chene-Gr.3 in 1986 before being shipped to the US for the Breeder’s Cup Mile-Gr.1 in 1986 at Santa Anita, where he was given little hope at what was believed to be an unsuitable distance, but where the three year-old scored an upset win.
Rated Champion Sprinter in England, he was retired to stud in 1987 (Australia 1989 and Japan 1995) and was Champion First Crop Sire in Europe. His sire, Try My Best (Northern Dancer-Sex Appeal by Buckpasser), was bred by E.P. Taylor and was England’s Champion Two Year-Old of 1977 when he won the Dewhurst Stakes-Gr.1. He is best remembered as the sire of Last Tycoon and of Waajib (whose line continues in Europe via champion sprinter and Gr.1-winning juvenile Royal Applause and his son Acclamation, the latter sire of shuttler Equiano (FR) and imported Gr.2 winner Lidari (FR)).
Try My Best, a brother to El Gran Senor, is a grandson of Best in Show and so has links to Redoute’s Choice as that mare is his fourth dam. The Gr.1 winner Bonaria is by Redoute’s Choice and from a Last Tycoon daughter as is Swettenham’s Stud’s Gr.1 winner Master of Design, while NZ Derby winner Redoute’s Dancer is out of a daughter of El Gran Senor, showing the value of this best in Show duplication.
The Written Tycoon branch of this line comes via short-lived Iglesia (Last Tycoon-Yodells by Marscay) who was bred by Geoff and Beryl White’s Bhima Pty Ltd. The Whites raced many good horses, not the least being Golden Slipper winner and champion sire Marscay (Biscay-Heart of Market (USA) by To Market) who carried their distinctive purple and white livery and also a seven letter name, a feature of their runners. Iglesia’s best wins came in the Silver Slipper Stakes-Gr.2 and VRC Standish Handicap-Gr.2, in a course record of 1:07.16 for the Flemington straight 1200m, set on January 1, 2001 and still standing. He retired with six wins and four thirds plus a Golden Slipper-Gr.1 fourth in 20 starts, standing his first season at Neville Stewart’s Oaklands Stud in 2001.
His stakes placed dam was inbred to Star Kingdom 3m,4m,5f, through Biscay, through her dam Yodelling Lady (by Paris Review by Noholme) and through her fourth dam Fairy Dream (Star Kingdom) and carries a line of Wilkes (FR) through Champagne Stakes/Sires’ Produce and Rosehill Guineas winner Bogan Road.
Iglesia stood just six seasons (2001-2006), starting on a $6600 fee and rising to $22,000, the best of his runners being Gr.2 winners Written Tycoon and Nova Star and Gr.3 winners Helideck and Sanderson. It is fitting that Written Tycoon’s son Capitalist should win the $2m Magic Millions 2YO Classic as MM stalwart David Chester was responsible for Daandine Pastoral Company purchasing his dam Party Miss and also recommended the mare be sent of Iglesia.
“Jim Griffiths was selling Party Miss, who was a handy winner of four races by Kenmare, and I suggested that Jim Clarke, who was QTC treasurer for more than 20 years and who owned Daandine Pastoral Company, should buy her,” David Chester said.“Jim, who was also a major Queensland pastoralist through his company Clarke and Tait, with the Tait family of Dark Jewel fame, was a long-time thoroughbred breeder who mainly purchased modestly priced mares for his broodmare band and had pretty good success.
“His daughter Jan, who has been coming to the races and sales since she was a schoolgirl, took over the reins of Daandine after her father’s death and she took up my suggestion to put Party Miss to Iglesia in the mare’s sixth season at stud.”
Jan Clarke put the mare back to Iglesia the following year when the result was the unraced filly Invited who is now in the broodmare band of Turangga Farm’s Stuart Ramsay (Ramsay Pastoral Company). She is the dam of Big Chance (Octagonal), 10 wins and runner-up in the Doomben Slipper. Daandine Pastoral has retained a daughter of Party Miss in the shape of Red Dazzler-sired Party Jewel who has a filly by Drumbeats and a colt by Jet Spur in her first two seasons at stud.
Written Tycoon began his stud career in Victoria in 2007 after a career that saw him with two wins and three seconds in 11 starts. He won an 1100m juvenile event at Randwick and the Todman Slipper Trial-Gr.2 (1200m) at Rosehill and was runner-up to star filly Fashions Afield over 1200m (1.25 lengths) in five runs at two when he was unplaced in the Golden Slipper-Gr.1 and Champagne Stakes-Gr.1. His best effort in three runs at three was a second (1.25 lengths) behind Media in the San Domenico Stakes-Gr.3 (1000m, Randwick). He won two trials but was unplaced in three runs as a four year-old and retired to stud at Eliza Park in Victoria in 2007, covering 118 mares ($8250) in his first season.
He was Champion First Season Sire in 2010-11 and had huge support from broodmare owners with books of 87 (2008), 118, 198 ($6600) and 152 ($11,000) before Eliza Park International made the decision to send him to Queensland for the 2012 season where he covered 107 mares at $15,400 (88 live foals). Not all his syndicate members were entirely happy with his move to Queensland and a $3m sale saw him back in Victoria and with a new home, Woodside Park at Tylden, the following season. He covered books of 138 and 177 there at $13,750 and his fee shot up to $19,800 in 2015 when he looked after a book of 178.
Written Tycoon had 219 winners from 329 starters (66.6%) to January 18 for earnings topping $20m. His 12 stakes winners (3.6%) also include Gr.2 winners Howmuchdoyouloveme (Celtic Swing), Rich Enuff (Spartacus), also runner-up in the Caulfield Guineas-Gr.1, the Gr.3 winners Tycoon Tara (Encores), Vibrant Rouge (West Point), Written Dash (Dash For Cash) and Trump (Black Minnaloushe) and the Listed winners It Is Written (Danehill Dancer), Grand Tycoon (Grand Royale), Danger Close (Honours List), Written Up (Octagonal) and Stoker (Stratum, inbred 4fx5f to Vain) along with Capitalist.
Although the move to Queensland did not please everybody, it did allow Jan Clarke to send her beautifully bred winning mare Kitalpha (NZ) (Fusaichi Pegasus (USA)-Compulsion by Danehill (USA)) to Written Tycoon in her second season at stud. The result being unbeaten Capitalist, who was knocked down to bloodstock agent James Harron for $165,000 at the 2015 Gold Coast Magic Millions from the Daandine draft on behalf of a high profile syndicate including Newgate Stud, the Bateman and Ingham families.
The colt is unbeaten in three starts including winning the Breeders’ Plate-LR on debut by three lengths, running 57.09 for the 1000m, and has won more than $1.4m. His dam, who died in 2015, produced just four foals, the maiden performer Lushan (colt, Northern Meteor) in 2012, Capitalist in 2013, a filly by Real Saga in 2014 (purchased from the Daandine draft by James Harron for $200,000 at the 2016 MM) and a filly by Smart Missile in 2015.
Kitalpha, inbred 3fx3m to Danzig and whose sire won the Kentucky Derby and is a son of Mr. Prospector and the Danzig mare Angel Fever, hails from a family noted for smart juveniles. Her dam Compulsion won the Blue Diamond Preview-Gr.3 at two and is a sister to Golden Slipper-Gr.1 winner Merlene (dam of South African Gr.2 winner Merlene de Lago and second dam of VRC Oaks winner Dear Demi). Their dam, Bold Promise (Luskin Star-Game Dame by Bold Aussie (USA)), also produced the VRC Newmarket-Gr.1 and MVRC Australia Stakes-Gr.1 winner Miss Pennymoney (Brocco (USA)) after a career on the track that saw her win eight races including the Magic Millions 2YO Classic-RL and the STC Reisling Slipper Trial-Gr.2. She also won the Tea Rose-Gr.2, BATC Coca-Cola Classic-Gr.3 and was runner-up in the Flight Stakes-Gr.1.
Compulsion’s four winners include Listed winner Brayroan (Zabeel) and stakes placed producer Ekali (Torrential (USA)). Her descendants also include $600,000 earner and Listed winner Red Excitement (Excites). City-placed Game Dame produced eight winners, while her dam, Regal Crest (Sostenuto (ITY)-Regal Peace by Pipe of Peace (GB)), is a sister to multiple Gr.1 winner Regal Rhythm and to Current Affair, the dam of Gr.3 winner and Golden Slipper runner-up Food For Love (dam of Lady Jakeo, Red Arrow, Able Choice).
Descendants of Lady Jakeo, a brilliant daughter of Last Tycoon mentioned earlier in this article, include the Oakleigh Plate-Gr.1 winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym), Miss Judgment (Strategic), Fifth Avenue Lady (Fastnet Rock) and Aussies Love Sport (Redoute’s Choice). Family members could be a good choice for Capitalist when he heads to stud.
Regal Peace (ex Regal Gold by Gold Nib (GB)) won the VATC 1000 Guineas-Gr.1 and was runner-up in the VRC Oaks and AJC Oaks and is a half-sister to Widden Stakes-LR winner All Gold (Star Kingdom), who took this family to the US where her stakes winning descendants included the imported Captain’s Gold (USA) (Riverman), dam sire of Golden Slipper winner Calaway Gal (Clang). This is family C2 tracing to Yatterina (Yattendon-Kohinoor by Vanguard), bred in NSW in 1865. Yatterina is the fourth dam of March (Marble Arch (GB)), whose grandaughter Royal Tray (by The Tetrarch son Tea Tray (GB)) is the ninth dam of Capitalist.
Although he is not a big fellow, the strongly built Capitalist, a chestnut like his sire, has shown the speed and tenacity of a Golden Slipper contender. The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt is all the rage for our richest race for juveniles and has a pedigree and family heritage that should make him suited to the pressures of a high-powered race day. A Slipper win by this unbeaten colt, who defeated Nikitas and Candika at the Gold Coast (by 2.5 lengths, running 1:09.20 for the 1200m), would certainly herald in a new era for the Last Tycoon line in Australia.