Speed machine Straight Charge (Written By) has been signed to cover his first book at Westbury Park.
In just a handful of starts, Straight Charge proved himself one of the best colts of his generation with a powerful front-running victory in the 2024 edition of the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the well-bred colt joined an elite roll-call of Silver Slipper winners destined for stud when defeating stablemate Espionage (Zoustar) clocking 64.47s on a Soft 6 over 1100m.
Straight Charges settles in at Westbury Park (Photo / Ann Croucher)
That bettered the Silver Slipper winning times of high-profile Hunter Valley stallions stallions Farnan (64.75s) and Home Affairs (64.98s) who also won their editions on Soft surfaces in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Straight Charge has been purchased by Gray and Patsy Williamson from Yulong who know the sireline well with champion stallion Written Tycoon tthe patriarch of its roster at the heart of Victorian stud country in the Strathbogie Shire.
Williamson is one of the most successful studmasters of the modern era in WA having launched the careers of Champion WA stallions Playing God (Blackfriars), Oratorio (Stravinsky), I’m All The Talk (Stratum) and Metal Storm (Kenmare). He also resurrected the stud career of Don’t Say Halo (Halo) at Mungrup.
“Dave Morrissey from Cannon Hayes Stud gave me the heads up he was available,” Gray said. “He’s a real athlete. The four-legged equivalent of Carl Lewis. The female side of the family is kicking on, too. His 2yo full-brother Jarbardar won at his first start at Wagga and then finished second to the Home Affairs filly Natural Fling at Caulfield last Saturday week.
”Straight Charge has shown the temperament, speed and early maturity to throw those early 2yo and 3yo winners that the market desires. He’s also an easy mate as he’s Danehill free, and his physique will be a great attribute for the mare base we have in WA.
“Add in the Champion stallions Written Tycoon and I Am Invincible that Straight Charge’s pedigree brings and it was an easy decision.”
His dam Matryoshka (I Am Invincible) was in the news again at the Inglis Australian Easter Sale last month when her Zoustar yearling colt was purchased by China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock for $1.45 million making him the highest priced Zoustar at the 2026 Sales.
Westbury Park owner Phil Ibbotson will stand Straight Charge in association with Mungrup alongside Gray’s daughter Claire Williamson and her partner Coel Hunter. They operate Willaview Park and already have a Westbury connection through A Lot (Tapit) who transferred from the Great Southern to West Pinjarra after he claimed the WA First-Season title in 2022.
Gray and Claire Williamson (Photo / Western Racepix)
Straight Charge is from the second-crop by Written By (Written Tycoon) who was named Australia’s Champion 2YO Colt after winning the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in 2018. He was bred by Scott Robertson and offered by Twin Hills Stud (as agent) at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale where he caught the attention of Paul Moroney and Alan Fu (Pegasus Bloodstock).
“Scott doesn’t live far from us in Wagga and wanted to sell the colt as a foal,” Twin Hills owner Olly Tait recalled. “I had never seen him until he arrived here and I distinctly remember thinking, ‘Wow, you are a very, very nice horse’. He was a stunning colt and made $160,000.”
Straight Charge was then raised by Greg and Jo Griffin at Lime Country Thoroughbreds in NSW. “My first impressions were he would keep improving because he wasn’t furnished and had room to go forward,” Jo said. “He was a very busy yearling and would get bored easily.
“Alan Fu is a New Zealand-based client and selected Straight Charge with Paul and Catheryne Bruggeman. They pinhooked him for $160,000 and I think Alan might have gone a couple more bids because he was feeling bullish.”
Lime Country put him through its consignment to the 2023 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale where Yulong purchased him for $270,000. “I wasn’t sure whether he would be mature enough to be up and running early,” Jo added. “But he thrived with Gai and Adrian and they did a fantastic job.”
Straight Charge was runner-up to Espionage on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate (1000m) at Randwick and broke his maiden in style at his next outing in Drinkwise Plate (1100m) when victorious by the best part of four lengths at Randwick on Xmas Eve.
Straight Charge streaks clear in the G2 Silver Slipper (Sportspix)
Winning jockey Tim Clark rated him a faster horse than stablemate Storm Boy (Justify) who he had partnered to a winning debut at Rosehill a fortnight earlier. “Straight Charge has the speed and Storm Boy has a lot of depth,” Clark declared. “They’re both extremely talented colts.”
Bott concurred after the Drinkwise Plate. “That’s what we were hoping to see from Straight Charge,” he said. “He’s showing good improvement off that first prep and has that great tactical speed which is a big asset. He’s still a bit new but was able to quicken up nicely and put them away.”
Waterhouse and Bott were looking forward to their duel in the RL Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) but Straight Charge missed the Gold Coast feature with an elevated temperature leaving the field clear for Storm Boy to claim the winner’s share of the $3 million prizemoney pool.
Straight Charge recovered in time to win the stallion-making Silver Slipper and Bott told Sky Thoroughbreds he had been impressive from the outset. “He has that great early, sustained speed and he showcased that natural brilliance today. That’s what we’ve seen all the way through.”
Following the Silver Slipper, he was run down by subsequent G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner Switzerland (Snitzel) in the G2 Todman Stakes (1200m) in an encouraging dress-rehearsal for the $5 million G1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m).
Waterhouse and Bott accepted with six starters for the Golden Slipper and Straight Charge sat outside longshot stablemate Shangri La Express (Alabama Express) clocking some helter-skelter sectionals. He was still in the firing line at the furlong until fancied stablemate Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) tracked him through a gap to triumph in Australia’s richest 2YO race.
In what was his only unplaced result, Straight Charge finished sixth beaten two lengths after the early speed battle that saw Lady Of Camelot clock 69.76s which has only been bettered by Shinzo (69.65s) in the last decade of Golden Slippers.
He returned from an extended spell to win a Rosehill barrier trial in February, however, a suspensory injury forced Straight Charge into an early retirement after just five starts.
Written By is off to a resounding start to his stud career with The Novelist, Straight Charge and The Playwright all Group winning 2YOs in his first, second and third crops. He’s also building a great strike-rate in Perth led by LR Placid Ark Stakes (1200m) winners Ripcord and Wind And The Lion.
The best in the west by Written Tycoon has been Kissonallforcheeks who won three black-type races at Ascot before transferring to Melbourne where she won the G2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) and G3 Shaftesbury Avenue Hcp (1400m) at Flemington.
Straight Charge will stand for an introductory service fee of $6,600 (inc GST) alongside A Lot (USA), Winning Rupert and My Admiration at Westbury Park. For further information or bookings call Phil Ibbotson (0429 341 211), Gray Williamson (0427 532 103) and Claire Williamson (0417 914 605).
