Cover image courtesy of Shane Oxlade Racing
Captain Happy (Written Tycoon) likely made a few people happy on Saturday with his second victory in a row; the $50,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase picked his third cheque when shooting home at Morphettville over 1050 metres, taking his total prizemoney (including bonus) to $79,240 in just three starts.
Bred and sold by Yulong - and conceived in the first year that Written Tycoon stood in Victoria at his personal record fee of $165,000 inc GST - the now 3-year-old Captain Happy was purchased by his trainers Shane and Cassie Oxlade, who were pleased to scoop up a colt bred on the prolific Written Tycoon–Snitzel cross at such a small price.
Captain Happy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He wasn’t overly big at the time, but he was within my price range,” said Shane Oxlade. “He’s grown up a bit now, he just needs to fill out a bit more. I thought he'd probably make more, to be honest, but I was happy to get him at that price.”
What’s not to like?
There isn’t a lot to Captain Happy’s page that’s not to like either; as the first foal from city-winning Snitzel mare Arousal, he boasts G3 Epona Stakes winner Intimate Moment (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}) as his second dam, who is herself a half-sister to Listed-winning Bonnie Mac (NZ) (Thorn Park), the dam of Vinery Stud stallion Exceedance and Blue Gum Farm’s Oxley Road.
The family is littered with stakes winners and black-type performers on both sides of the Tasman, and Yulong’s Sam Fairgray couldn’t go past sending Arousal to Written Tycoon for her maiden foal.
Sam Fairgray | Image courtesy of Inglis
“She’s a Snitzel mare, and we obviously did launch into buying them as they work very well with Written Tycoon,” said Fairgray on Arousal's appeal to the Yulong team, who acquired her via an online auction. “Being out of a Dubawi mare as well - Written Tycoon likes Mr Prospector. There were plenty of things in the pedigree that we thought suited the mating well.”
“There were plenty of things in the pedigree that we thought suited the mating well.” - Sam Fairgray
The nick of Written Tycoon over Snitzel boasts 8% stakes winners to runners, and Written Tycoon has enjoyed a lot of success across the Danehill (USA) sireline. Not A Single Doubt and Flying Spur are other examples, both with 15% stakes winners to runners when their daughters visit Written Tycoon.
They were also a good physical match, Fairgray shared, and Arousal has been complementary to a number of Yulong's stallion roster. Since producing Captain Happy, Arousal has visited first Tagaloa, then Pierata, and is currently in foal to Lucky Vega (Ire).
Gallery: Arousal's suitors, since producing Captain Happy, images courtesy of Yulong Investments
“Physically, it was a good mating with Tagaloa,” Fairgray said. “Then she went to Pierata for the Flying Spur connection, that’s what we were trying to go for. She will most likely go to More Than Looks next as the More Than Ready–Snitzel cross has worked really well.”
Size isn’t everything
“He wasn’t a big foal, but he was very neat and well put together,” Fairgray said. “I think he'll furnish into a handy enough horse by the look of it.”
“I think he'll (Captain Happy) furnish into a handy enough horse by the look of it.” - Sam Fairgray
Oxlade is of a similar opinion. Size doesn’t matter when you show ability from the start.
Shane Oxlade | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He's always shown us right from the start of work that he is just a real professional,” Oxlade said. “He jumps out and does what he has to do, goes out and does his work and is really professional doing it. He’s always shown good ability.”
“He's (Captain Happy) always shown us right from the start of work that he is just a real professional.” - Shane Oxlade
Captain Happy didn’t trial until this past June, but he only needed the one hit-out at Morphettville Parks - finishing third to dual-winning juvenile La Roux (Zousain) - to convince Oxlade that he was ready to step up to the plate. The gelding had his first start at the beginning of July, finishing second to the older Major Rumble (Capitalist) with plenty of improvement to come.
“He’s just a natural runner,” Oxlade said. “And he just does everything right, that makes a big difference in 2-year-old races.”
Oxlade professed to enjoy training juveniles - “more than the older horses” - and he looked forward to the new intake every year; in 2024, they purchased five yearlings at the sales and broke in eight in total for the stable. Oxlade’s other Written Tycoon purchase in 2024, Elegant Lily, is the other juvenile that was ready to get up and go over the winter.
Another Inglis Classic purchase that cost $30,000 from the draft of Sledmere Stud, the 3-year-old filly has tailed Captain Happy home in two starts and is looking to break through.
Written Tycoon had another solid season of juveniles in 2024/25, with four stakes winners amongst his 15 winners; Tycoon Star, Skyhook, and Military Tycoon all captured Group 3 wins, and the unbeaten Scenic Point was a Listed winner in the autumn. Captain Happy pounced at his next start to add another juvenile winner to his sire’s score, before going back-to-back on the weekend.
Written Tycoon | Standing at Yulong, image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Working on a budget
Oxlade is a fan of the sireline, but admits they are usually either out of his budget or not the kind of horse he likes.
“I’ve been back to the sales to have a look, but they’re all bigger horses and have brought a lot of money,” he said. “A lot more than I’m looking to spend.”
The Inglis Classic Sale has been a happy hunting ground for a trainer with a moderate budget; Oxlade’s most expensive purchase in recent years came in 2023 when he outlaid $95,000 for He's A Cool Cat (Lonhro) when offered by Newhaven Park. The gelding has been a winner at his only start to date when striking at Murray Bridge in April.
He's A Cool Cat as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
At the same sale, Oxlade spent just $15,000 on a daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) in Yarraman Park Stud’s draft, who would be named Madam Jeanette. The filly was a winner at her third start and has brought home an additional five placings, with earnings over $65,000 - a handy four times her sale price.
Oxlade returned to Riverside Stables earlier this year for his sole yearling purchase of the season, buying a Lonhro filly from Taormina Lodge for $50,000; she is a half-sister to juvenile provincial winner Point Score (Blue Point {Ire}) out of a half-sister to He’s A Cool Cat and Group 2 winner Heatherly (Lonhro).
While he can’t wield a budget on a par with metropolitan trainers in the eastern states, Oxlade can still find something that appeals to him at the sales without going over budget.
“If you have to force yourself to like them, then you don’t need them.” - Shane Oxlade
“I either like them or I don’t,” he said. “Correct is good, but nothing’s ever going to be perfect. You just have to be happy with what you buy.
“I’ll get something out and have a look at it, but if I just don’t like it for whatever reason, I won’t bid. If you have to force yourself to like them, then you don’t need them.”
There was no force necessary in liking Captain Happy, who is off for a well-earned break after Saturday’s exploits.
