By Joshua Smith
Well Written may carry the colours of thoroughbred industry giant Yulong Investments, but she has an army of other part-owners who will be cheering her home in Saturday’s $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie.
The undefeated Group One-winning filly has 16 individual ownership interests, with Yulong holding the controlling interest, and all her connections are equally enjoying the journey she is taking them on.
Well Written has won all five of her starts to date for trainer Stephen Marsh, with Yulong buying their interest in the filly following her victory in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) last October, with the daughter of Written Tycoon going on to post successive wins in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m), and $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).
Greg Pope, a member of the 8 Mates Syndicate, has been part of the journey since buying shares in her as a yearling, and he said he is enjoying the ride with his friends, as well as the new friends he has made amongst her other owners.
“There is a large ownership group with a lot of friends, and we have made a lot of new friends along the way,” Pope said.
“8 Mates have had horses with Stephen before. We are a bunch of guys around retirement age that have been mates for years. We are not in it for the money, we are only a small shareholder in the horse, and it’s all about going to the races with mates and having some fun.
“We all head to the races with our wives and get to go on a trip somewhere and this horse has taken us on those trips.”
Pope, who has been involved in the racing industry all of his life and has recently retired after working for equine airfreight company IRT for 30 years, has tasted success on the track in the past, but not to the extent of Well Written’s deeds, and he is glad he and his group of mates decided to buy into the filly.
“We have raced horses with Stephen Marsh and Chris Waller, and we had a horse called Gold Rush with Lance O’Sullivan who won the Matamata Breeders’ (Gr.2, 1200m),” he said.
“During summer around the bar leaner at Whangamata we were told we needed to be in on this horse (Well Written), so we bought a piece of her. So far, so good, and the journey she has taken us on has been a lot of fun.”
While Pope has been enjoying the ride with his 8 Mates Syndicate, he said he has also enjoyed meeting Well Written’s other owners, with the large contingent meeting each other for the first time the night before her New Zealand 1000 Guineas victory.
“In advance of the 1000 Guineas we teed up on the Friday night down in Christchurch that we all met each other at a bar,” Pope said.
“We have now got a great group of people that we can talk to easily and each race those relationships get stronger and stronger. We are fortunate to be with a group of good people.”
Pope said he has also enjoyed racing a horse in partnership with Yulong, with his ties with some of their employees going back several decades.
“I have known Sam Fairgray (Yulong chief operating officer) for many years from when he was working here in New Zealand at Ra Ora Stud,” Pope said. “Because we knew Sam Fairgray, it was exciting, and it is good for New Zealand racing to have Yulong in there.”
Well Written’s success has been a particular tonic for one member of the 8 Mates Syndicate, who is currently battling illness, and Pope is hoping she can continue her winning ways this weekend to provide that much-needed boost.
The syndicate will be trackside at Ellerslie on Saturday to cheer home their pride and joy, and Pope said he is enjoying the lead-up to what is becoming New Zealand’s biggest day in racing.
“We are all going to be there with our wives,” he said. “I am off to the barrier draw and I was out at Ellerslie on Monday morning to watch her gallop. It’s a great time of life to just be enjoying it.”
