Unbeaten NZ Filly Has Top Aussie Trainers Ducking a Race

When champion trainers start making excuses to avoid your horse, you know you've got something special.

Well Written, a three-year-old filly from New Zealand, just extended her perfect record to five wins in five starts with a stunning victory at the Karaka Million on Saturday. The performance was so impressive that two of Australia's most decorated trainers admitted they're happy to keep their distance.

Chris Waller, the man who trained legendary champion Winx, watched the race at Ellerslie and couldn't hide his admiration. He's been tracking Well Written for weeks, keeping tabs on potential competition for his Australian stable.

"She will compete at the top level and be very hard to beat," Waller said after the race. "I would say she could even be at the top."

That's high praise from someone who knows greatness. Waller has guided multiple champions over the past decade and understands what separates good horses from elite ones.

Peter Moody, who trained the unbeaten Black Caviar through 25 straight wins, echoed the sentiment. He watched Well Written demolish the field in the final 200 meters and breathed a sigh of relief that she won't be heading to Australia anytime soon.

"I'm happy not to be taking her on at any time," Moody admitted with a laugh. He has some of Australia's best three-year-old fillies in his barn, but he's perfectly content to let Well Written stay in New Zealand for now.

Both trainers were at the Karaka bloodstock sale on Sunday, where Well Written's performance dominated conversations. Neither plans to send horses across the Tasman to challenge her in the $4 million NZB Kiwi race on March 7, despite the enormous prize money.

Why This Inspires

It's rare to see competitors openly celebrate a rival's talent, but that's exactly what's happening here. Waller and Moody aren't just acknowledging Well Written's ability; they're genuinely excited about what she represents for New Zealand racing.

Waller pointed to Ka Ying Rising, currently rated the world's best sprinter, as proof of what a single star can do for an entire industry. New Zealand struggles to keep its best horses as international buyers wave big checks, but a homegrown champion racing at home changes everything.

"When you've got a pin-up horse like that, it just changes the whole industry and everybody runs off it," Waller explained. Well Written could be that horse, the kind that draws fans to tracks and inspires the next generation of owners and trainers.

Trainer Stephen Marsh has kept Well Written in New Zealand specifically to target the NZB Kiwi, the country's richest sporting event. After that race, she'll likely head to Australia to face the competition that's currently happy to admire her from afar.

The Aussies can hide for now, but after March 7, they might not have anywhere left to run.