Trainer Matt Williams is banking on the fresh ability of his class mare Wrote To Arataki (NZ) (Wrote) to take her to victory for the second year in a row in Saturday’s Gr.3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Wrote To Arataki takes a major ratings advantage into Saturday’s defence of her first Stakes victory, but Williams said from the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale on Tuesday that a late end to her 2023 campaign means she has been taken along slowly this time in.
“She’s just had the one trial so there should be a bit of improvement to come,” Williams said.
“She’s coming off that short break where she went pretty deep into the spring, so there’s not a lot of turnaround time there, so there’s a bit of natural fitness still under her belt.
“Last week she had a little jumpout at Warrnambool and came through that well and she had a gallop on the grass this morning and all reports (are) she came through that well, so she should be there to take her spot.”
Wrote To Arataki carries a 102 rating off the back of her G2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) success at Caulfield in the spring, meaning she enjoys a break of 15 ratings points over her highest-weighted rivals, Diamond Dealer and Sneaky Paige (87).
Wiliams said Wrote To Arataki enjoyed her short break and was not screwed down for her first outing for 2024.
“We were able to get on about 15 kilograms on her out in the paddock and she’s had a pretty soft preparation going into Saturday, so we are sort of using it as a run to bring her on and get her out to seven furlongs (1400m), which is probably more her trip,” he said.
“But she does always run really well fresh, so if she is ridden off the speed and gets a bit of luck in running, I can see her diving through and being in the finish there somewhere.
“She has improved each preparation we’ve brought her back from a break. She’s just gone a length or two better again, so you probably don’t know when they are going to tap out.
“She’s up in a higher grade now. We’re hopeful that if we give her a light autumn – she might only have three runs – and then we’ve got the opportunity to give her a nice six-week break and then in the spring get into one of those good races like the Rupert Clark (Stakes) where she gets right down in the weights and give her another crack at a Group 1.
“We need to go to the (Frances) Tressady or Mannerism (Stakes) second-up and possibly the Sunline Stakes will be her prep this time in.
“She’s not the sort of mare that we will travel away too much as she’s got her quirks and probably in the spring, there are more options for her to go in different ways.”