It Is Written aims for another Valley win

It is no surprise to see the Robbie Griffiths-trained It Is Written among the entries for a Moonee Valley meeting.

After all, the gelding has had almost half his 66 career starts at the Melbourne racetrack and recently recorded his eighth win there.

His last-start Valley success on December 31 snapped a long winless run for the eight-year-old stretching back to the Listed Abell Stakes in early 2015.

It was particularly satisfying for his trainer who hopes the sprinter can do it again on Saturday in the 1200m benchmark-90.

“He’s been a great horse to us, and in his later years, because he’s up in the weights, he’s been more of a placegetter and had been out of the winners’ stall for some time,” Griffiths said.

“But his runs have still been very competitive and thanks to a good ride by Dylan Dunn he was in all the right spots at the right times last start and got the job done, which was fantastic.”

Because of It Is Written’s affinity for Moonee Valley, Griffiths targeted the New Year’s Eve 1000m-race and also this Saturday’s event.

“After he ran third at Pakenham (on December 3) we made a decision to concentrate on the two Valley races, now that he was back to that rating,” Griffiths said.

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Apprentice Jack Martin has been booked to ride It Is Written and his three-kilogram claim will bring his weight down to 58kg.

“That will pull him back to a respectable weight, and he seems to be in good order,” Griffiths said.

It Is Written’s eighth win at the track still leaves him well behind the Valley record set by Griffiths’ former stable stalwart Dandy Kid.

“It just goes to show you how good Dandy Kid was to win 15 at the one track, doesn’t it?” Griffiths said.

Griffiths has not ruled out running It Is Written in a fourth Australia Stakes (1200m) on Friday week, but that will depend on the strength of the field and how he comes through Saturday.

It Is Written has finished third, second, and equal fifth in the past three Australia Stakes.

“We’d definitely consider it because we like to run him at the Valley whenever there’s a meeting,” he said.

“Because at the end of the day whatever his form reads, he runs better at the Valley. He runs above himself there.

“It would very much depend on the quality, but it wouldn’t be beyond us to run him on a quick back-up.”