It Is Written To Make Weight-For-Age Debut In Kevin Heffernan Stakes

Trainer Robbie Griffiths has revealed that It Is Written will make his weight-for-age debut in the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

It Is Written will return to Group level when he contests the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

It Is Written will return to Group level when he contests the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

It Is Written was included in the nominations for both the Kevin Heffernan Stakes and Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1400m) but Griffiths told RSN that he has made the decision to keep the Written Tycoon gelding at 1200 metres after he failed to run out the trip when he was stepped up to 1400 metres in the Listed Weekend Hussler Stakes at Caulfield on October 12.

“We will go to the Kevin Heffernan,” Griffiths said.

“At weight-for-age he is not as well placed against some of the better credentialed horses but he is more suited at the 1200m.

“We tried him a couple of runs back in the 1400 metre and he was caught wide, pulled hard and long story short he didn’t run the 1400 very strong.

“We will come back to the comfort zone of 1200 metre, where he has won at this track and distance.”

Griffiths admits that It Is Written will need to be at his best to compete at weight-for-age level with the likes of Platelet, Pinwheel, Pago Rock, Le Bonsir and Lankan Rupee this weekend but said that he could not be happier with the physical condition of the five-year-old gelding.

“Weight-for-age is new territory for him so we will see how he goes but he galloped really well on Monday morning so we are happy with him,” Griffiths said.

“He is in good order and he is really well.”

It Is Written has already had a successful 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign that started with a promising fourth place finish behind Group 1 winner Samaready in the Group 3 Theshark.com.au Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 31.

He finished third behind Le Bonsir and Rekindled Interest second-up in the Listed Drummond Golf Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 14 and followed that up with his maiden victory at Listed level in the Testa Rossa Stakes (1200m).

It Is Written failed to run out the trip in the Weekend Hussler Stakes and had no luck when he finished sixth behind Vibrant Rouge in the City Jeep Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day.

Griffiths is chasing his first win at Group 3 level since Count To Zero won the 2007 edition of the Ellerston Capital Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.