‘He’s clearly very, very exciting’ – Price and Kent Jnr colt set for Chairman’s date at Caulfield
Trainer Michael Kent Jnr is seeing boundless horizons for a “very exciting” colt who’s shaping as a chip off the old Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) as he takes his next step this Saturday en route to the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Big Sky (Bivouac) will seek black type in Caulfield’s Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m), sticking to that shorter trip after his ultra-impressive debut victory in a handicap over the distance at Flemington on January 17, following two barrier trials.
Sporting Rupert Legh’s familiar navy with the gold lightning bolt – carried with distinction previously in the stable by dual Group 1-winning Yulong sire Grunt (O’Reilly) among others – Big Sky started a $2.90 co-favourite in that first start up the Flemington straight.
He had to be restrained by jockey Jordan Childs while racing off the leader’s rump amid a slow early tempo, while showing some signs of waywardness.
But once asked to sprint at the 200 metres, the colt exploded to win by 2.75 lengths from his fellow joint–favourite Mirador (Brazen Beau), Team Hayes’s Godolphin filly who he’ll meet again this weekend.
Such dynamic acceleration had Kent Jnr looking for superlatives as he previewed Big Sky’s second start – and for comparisons to the two-year-old’s sire Bivouac (Exceed And Excel).
The Darley stallion won two of his three Group 1s up the Flemington straight 1200 metres in the Newmarket Handicap and VRC Sprint Classic, along with a second up the same course and distance in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
“Big Sky was very much like his old man on debut,” Kent Jnr told ANZ News. “Bivouac was dominant when they didn’t go overly quick, and his superior turn of foot won him races in very impressive fashion.
“Big Sky’s debut was very akin to that – a big change up, a big turn of foot. He sat there on the bridle and then exploded away, and that’s what Bivouac could do. He was awesome on his day, when he had the right race shape.
“Our colt looked like he was inclined to do a bit wrong early the other day, but when you review the sectionals, they went at a very slow gallop early. It was barrier trial speed.
“All the work was done late, and that’s what was impressive. He travelled to the 200 [metres] on the bridle, and when Jordan asked him he put three lengths on them very quickly. It was his superior turn of foot that won the race.”
Price and Kent Jnr snapped up Big Sky from the draft of breeders Eureka Stud for $140,000 on day one of Magic Millions Gold Coast last year, which is emerging as a bargain now.
At the time, Bivouac was largely unproven, midway through his initial season of runners.
Dam Zoom By (Red Dazzler) won four times from 1000 metres to 1200 metres, three of them at the Sunshine Coast, and is related to six Group 3 winners from the unraced second dam down.
“We’ve had a lot of luck buying from Eureka Stud. They’re fantastic breeders,” Kent Jnr said. “This bloke wasn’t an obvious one, he went for half the sale’s average, but he was nice enough.
“He was balanced, clean, had correct limbs, moved well. He looked like he had a lot of improvement to come.
“In January last year, everyone wasn’t sure which way Bivouac was going to go. But in the last 12 months he’s sired the Golden Rose winner, and now this guy. It’s no surprise, he was such a good racehorse, a very good straight horse too with a massive change of gear. It’s no surprise he’s doing things as a stallion.”
Standing at Darley last spring for $55,000 (inc GST), Bivouac has that record-time Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Beiwacht on his CV, alongside two other stakes winners from 76 runners. He currently sits third on Australia’s second season sires’ table, and eighth among three-year-old sires.
In line with that “room to improve” forecast upon purchase, Big Sky has done nothing but impress his trainers since arriving.
“The way he’s developed has been remarkable,” Kent Jnr said.
“The good ones, every time you put them out in the paddock they really improve and grow. The ordinary ones never change and improve.
“You could make a lot of money if you could predict that trait in a horse, to improve from a yearling to a two-year-old, but in any case, this guy has improved enormously. Gee he’s an attractive-looking, masculine colt now, with a lot of presence. He’s a lovely horse, and he was fantastic on debut.”
Two-year-old racing has proved a fickle beast in recent seasons, with many booms earned on debut quickly lowered by unflattering follow-ups.
But Kent Jnr has reasons to believe Big Sky will land an authoritative second punch this weekend.
For one thing, he was barely extended on debut. Plus, this Saturday promises a larger field than that seven-horse affair, with 12 nominations entered.
“The fact that his first start was a very slowly run race then a dash home, it wasn’t a hard run on the horse,” he said. “Just being with the horse in the days following the race, that’s how it felt to us. When he pulled up it was like he’d just had a track gallop.
“So we’re not at all expecting a flat second run. He’s come on for the run and that sort of set up – going slowly and sprinting late – it’s an ideal platform to run well and run an improved race second-up.
“We’re looking forward to Saturday and seeing him being allowed to roll along a bit, which should allow him to race more tractably. I don’t expect them to go that slow again, since it’s a stronger race with a bigger field.
“Plus, he’s more experienced and he’s come on a lot.”
Kent Jnr said the stable had opted to run Big Sky in the Chairman’s rather than wait for the more popular lead-up to the Blue Diamond, the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (Gr 3, 1100m) a week later.
“We thought one more run at 1000 metres would suit him better than stepping up to the 1100 metres,” he said. “Hopefully, there’s a bit more pace on than in his first run, and he’ll drop his head, they’ll go a bit quicker and that will let him finish off strongly.
“I’d also be very hopeful he’ll get the 1200 metres of the Blue Diamond no problem.”
Ben Melham returns to the saddle on Saturday, having ridden Big Sky in his two barrier trials this preparation before being on the Gold Coast on the day of his debut to ride Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m) winner Torque To Be Sure (Shamus Award).
“Ben said since he trialed him three weeks ago until now, he’s come a long way, as you’d expect for any young two-year-old. He’s learning each day,” Kent Jnr said.
“It’s going to no doubt be harder from here on in, but he’s an exciting colt who’s going the right way, that’s for sure.”
Several rivals look set to provide that tougher assignment that Kent Jnr forecasts.
Team Hayes’s debuting filly La Gitana (Home Affairs) appears one of her Coolmore sire’s more exciting first croppers, having effortlessly won two Pakenham jump-outs this campaign.
Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s Expensive Taste (North Pacific) will also enjoy the fillies’ advantage under the set weights and penalties scale, and comes in off two Flemington jump-out victories.
And improvement can be expected from Mirador in her second outing, and from Robbie Griffiths’ colt Invincible Son (Farnan), who debuted with a third in Caulfield Heath’s rich Magic Millions VIC 2YO Classic (1100m) on December 20 before a tick-over jump-out.
Big Sky will carry a topweight of 59 kilograms under a penalty for his debut handicap victory, where he carried the same weight.
But when asked if his stable felt they had a good one on their hands, Kent said: “For sure.”
“I don’t think he beat a lot the other day, but any horse that can travel to the 200 [metres] on the bridle and win by three lengths at their first start at Flemington clearly has a lot of upside.
“He certainly looks a Group-class colt. He gives us the idea he’s going to improve in his three-year-old year, but he’s got the talent and the precocity to do it at two as well.
“So yeah, he’s clearly very, very exciting.”