She’s no champion … yet
There were two champions on show at the weekend and both idled to victory at Sha Tin.
Ka Ying Rising might be beating the same horses over and over again, but a 17th straight win, to equal another champion Silent Witness, was never in doubt.
Romantic Warrior overcame a wide trip early on to crush his rivals again, including the next best in Hong Kong seven-time Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble.
However, the rush to declare a champion in New Zealand was both as amusing as it was folly.
Champion is a tag for the absolute elite.
The best beating the best.
It is when no questions are left.
When expectation is continually met.
Well Written met expectations as an odds-on favourite with her runaway win in the Karaka Millions Three-year-old.
Was she against the best? No.
She was in a restricted race against horses she clearly had lengths on.
Those types of wins don’t happen every day, but the tag champion is cheapened on social media in the rush to be first.
New Zealand Herald’s Michael Guerin asked questions reviewing about being maybe the best from New Zealand since Sunline, who will take on The Kiwi at her next appearance. It will answer all the questions about her.
The only question left for Ka Ying Rising is if and when he breaks track records, as he looks to have the Hong Kong Speed series at his mercy.
Romantic Warrior ticked the mile box on Sunday, and even in defeat in Saudi Arabia and Dubai was courageous and brave. He might be in his twliight of his career, but is superior.
Well Written has time on her side.
However, claims she is the best three-year-old in Australasia can only be made by those with short memories.
Tempted was the runner-up in The Everest to a champion, and maybe with luck, wins a Golden Slipper. Tentyris was brilliant in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, winning and second in the Blue Diamond. They are the top of the generation.
Well Written is unbeaten in five starts and is outstanding, but let’s not rush her into the elite category.
Her trainer, Stephen Marsh, is being wise by heading to The Kiwi rather than Australia this preparation. She wouldn’t even start favourite at the highest level over here.
Marsh is in no rush to have her tested against the best in Australia.
In the spring, she will be well in in an Epsom and then Golden Eagle against her own age.
Win both of those races and stay unbeaten, she would be the equal of Autumn Glow, and no one is calling her a champion yet.
There is no doubt that Well Written is a rising star, but she’s a long way from being a champion.
A CHAMPION EMERGES IN NZ🥝
Well Written with an early contender for win of the year in the 3YO Karaka Millions, she is five from five with the world at her feet💥 pic.twitter.com/bck8E6QnfE
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) January 24, 2026
A couple of days will see Collett carnival fit
Being managed has become a common term in sport, and it is exactly what jockey Jason Collett is doing this week.
After falling in the Magic Millions Subzero, Collett wanted to keep riding, but soreness forced him to sit out of Saturday’s Randwick meeting.
Although scans cleared him of serious injury, Collett wants to make sure he is ready when Group 1 racing begins in February.
“My sternum is still pretty sore,” Collett said. “It is better to give myself time to recover now and be 100 per cent in a couple of weeks when the Inglis Millennium is on.”
“I probably came back too quickly. I think just looking after your body is so important.”
“In the past, I might have ridden with a bit of pain.”
“But taking a couple of days more now might mean not missing a week during the carnival.”
“I’m aiming to be back for next Friday and Saturday, but I will listen to my body and make that decision later in the week.”
SA shows the way with two-year-old racing policy
Adelaide might have lost its meeting on Saturday due to the heatwave, but Racing SA is ahead of other regulators in its approach to two- and three-year-old races.
South Australian racing has the best average field size in the country, which has enabled it to commit to running all programmed two-year-old and three-year-old races.
Although there were only four runners, the two-year-old race remained on Saturday’s program.
It differs to NSW where a two-year-old race was deleted from Canterbury’s meeting on Friday. It is becoming frustrating for trainers who want to start careers.
Racing NSW added a Highway Handicap to the Canterbury to make it seven races — a wise decision given the number of nominations.
But two-year-old racing will become more important in the next couple of months as babies look to race towards the Golden Slipper.
Remember, Marhoona won her debut at Canterbury last year before the Golden Slipper proved a perfect fit.
Remember Jack doesn’t like the barriers at Canterbury.
Remember Jack when he finally gets in the stalls.
The Annabel and Rob Archibald sprinter has been well supported the past two Friday nights, only to be scratched at the gates.
The first week, he got a leg up in the barriers and was given a warning, but on Friday, he got down in the barriers and stewards have forced him back to the barrier trials.
He is obviously impressing the stable at home. If he can get his manners right, he might prove a good bet when he finally jumps from the gates.
MIA
Which senior racing executive’s absence from the actual races hasn’t gone unnoticed?
