Thinking Big Pays Dividends

Tara Madgwick - Thursday, 12 November 2009

The 2009 Melbourne Spring Carnival has been remarkable for many things but the enduring success enjoyed by master trainer Bart Cummings and his long time patron Dato’ Tan Chin Nam proved one of the real highlights, so we thought it worth taking a closer look at the boutique breeding operation that carries the name of the horse that started it all.

Dato’ Tan Chin Nam first came to prominence in Australia as the owner of outstanding stayer Think Big, who won back-to back Melbourne Cups in 1974 and 1975 igniting a passion for Australian racing that remains to this day.

It is in his honour, that Think Big Stud was named, the Bart Cummings trained dual Cup winner holding pride of place for Dato’ Tan Chin Nam (pictured below with Duncan Ramage and So You Think) in an honour roll that includes South Australian Derby winner Prince of All, Australian Horse of the Year Saintly and more recent stars such as Caulfield Guineas winners Wonderful World and God’s Own along with Danendri, Danarani, Prince Arthur, Ruz Lopez, Taikun, Accumulate, Frightening, Zingham, Zazabelle, Catalan Opening, now a much loved nanny on the farm and Pendragon, who is the foundation sire at Think Big.

Acquired by Dato’ Tan Chin Nam in February of 2007, Think Big Stud is situated on the Southern Highlands and has been established as a boutique farm and spelling facility that has played a major role in the development of current stars So You Think (2009 Cox Plate), Faint Perfume (2009 VRC Oaks) and Viewed (2008Melbourne Cup, 2009 Caulfield Cup).

“All three of them have spent a great deal of time here at Think Big in the last few years and have been through our system,” explained Dato’ Tan Chin Nam’s Bloodstock Manager, Duncan Ramage.

“Faint Perfume (pictured) was raised here and consigned for the yearling sales under the Think Big banner, then was returned to us after she was passed in, while So You Think and Viewed have both spelled here and this is where they enjoy their down time away from the track.”

While So You Think and Viewed were purchased as yearlings, Faint Perfume marks the start of a new era as she was bred by Think Big Stud in partnership with Ananda Krishnan’s Wynyarra Stud.

From the first crop of four-time Group One winner Shamardal (USA), Faint Perfume is the first foal of the Zabeel mare Zona, a daughter of dual Group One winner Danendri, who was also raced in partnership by Dato Tan Chin Nam and Wynyarra.

Danendri was the superior staying filly of her generation winning the Group One AJC Australian Oaks and STC Ansett Australia Stakes as well as finishing second in the Group One VRC Oaks, which was so fittingly won by her grand-daughter this spring.

Faint Perfume was among the first yearlings taken to the sales under the Think Big banner which made its commercial debut in 2008 and while she was passed in, another of the youngsters sold, a filly by Galileo (IRE) from Freja, is making a keen impression in South Africa where she is now a stakes-winner.

The only horse consigned to the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Think Big, she was snapped up by English bloodstock agent Grant Pritchard-Gordon of Badgers Bloodstock on behalf of a South African client and has become a rising star for the powerful Mike de Kock stable under the name of Sidera.

A debut winner by more than seven lengths at Clairwood on October 18, Sidera (pictured above as a yearling) made her stakes debut in the 1400 metre Listed Starling Stakes at Turffontein on November 7 and emerged victorious over a big field of 17 fillies.

“We only had a small draft for the sales in 2008 and to have two stakes-winning fillies come out of it is a great endorsement for the farm,” Ramage said.

Earlier this year, Think Big again consigned yearlings for the sales selling nine youngsters for themselves and clients with Shadwell Australia securing their top seller for $300,000.