Libiamo (AUS)
2 f Written Tycoon – Fine Bubbles by Casino Prince
O: Neville Begg and Partners
B: Sun Bloodstock
T: Grahame Begg
S: Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale V: Sun Stud P: Grahame Begg Racing, $170,000
W: Neds Handicap (1100m), Caulfield, Saturday, July 10
Written Tycoon (Iglesia) will be crowned champion sire come the imminent end to the 2020/21 season, headed by standout performances from Ole Kirk, Pippie and Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winning three-year-old filly Odeum, and in Saturday’s debut winner Libiamo, the recently relocated Yulong stallion could have another high-class filly on his hands for the three-year-old features next season.
The Grahame Begg-trained juvenile caught the eye at Caulfield on Saturday, making swift progress in the 1100-metre fillies handicap under Billy Egan. Having broken from wide, the filly cornered in the centre of the track but lifted smartly in the final 100 metres to post a half-length success at the finish, defeating Godolphin’s Zapateo (Brazen Beau), already a convincing debut winner at Geelong the start prior.
Begg paid $170,000 to secure the filly at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in 2020 from the Sun Stud draft. She is a half-sister to Singapore winner and Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) runner-up Covert Ops (I Am Invincible) and out of Group 3 winner Fine Bubbles (Casino Prince), while her second dam is the stakes-winning Pekalan (Sri Pekan). Under the fourth dam, the stakes-placed Supaburn (Blazing Saddles), is Sin Sin Sin (Fantastic Light) and Hell It’s Hot (Zeditave), the dams of the Everest- (1200m) winning Coolmore stallion Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) and dual Group 1 winner In Her Time (Time Thief).
Wearing the same silks as Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Written By, another progeny of Written Tycoon, Libiamo had to overcome several barrier issues, which led to her late two-year-old start, and Begg said he would continue to move through the grades with the filly in the aftermath of the win.
“She’s given us a lot of grief to get here and I’ve got to say a big thank you to Julien Welsh, she’s had a lot of issues going to the barriers (and) that’s why she’s had a belated start,” Begg said.
“It was only three weeks ago that she had to go back and get a ticket. Just had an attitude but that’s very much (a trait of) Written Tycoon. They’ve just got to go their way a little bit.
“Written By had the same sort of attitude loading into the gates. But this girl has shown us a bit of talent.
“I was a bit unsure today, first start. I just thought to give her a nice introduction, don’t rush her in the early stages of the race, let it unfold for her and it worked out perfectly.”