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Big Wigs sets a gold standard for Tony’s team
By Paul Symes
@ANZ_News
As Tony Santic and his team prepare for life after Makybe Diva (Desert King), the timely tonic provided by the victory of Big Wigs (Gold Standard) in the big-money VOBIS Platinum Showdown (1200m) at Caulfield last Saturday could also pave the way for a potential tilt at Sydney riches this autumn.
Two weeks to the day since the mighty mare’s passing left a huge void in his life, Big Wigs delivered the lucrative triumph for Santic and his ecstatic ownership group, who struck a deal for the striking homebred colt over a glass or two of red wine imbibed at the Makybe farm last year.
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Having collected their share of the $550,000 first prize – as well as an additional $35,000 in VOBIS bonuses – the group could certainly afford to uncork another top shelf bottle from Santic’s wine cellar.
The farm’s long-serving stud manager Joe Murray is convinced that Makybe Diva, the three-time Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) heroine who lost a short battle with colic at the age of 27, played her part from above by willing Big Wigs over the line in the $1 million contest.
His young son’s athletics meeting prevented Murray from attending Victorian Owners and Breeders Raceday in person, but there were plenty of raucous cheers from the sidelines when the Phillip Stokes-trained colt just got the upper hand in a stirring battle with the equally progressive filly Miss Chanel (Tagaloa).
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“That win was just the thing Tony and the whole team needed after what’s obviously been a very tough couple of weeks for us all,” Murray told ANZ News.
“It’s so exciting for everyone to have a colt like this come along at just the right time. He’s such a professional, even Brad Pearson who broke him in said that he’s the most sensible and straightforward colt that he’s ever dealt with.
“The reports from the Stokes stable have been much the same from the start, he’s so relaxed and professional that you wouldn’t even know he’s a colt. He just goes about his business with no fuss, even when he travelled over to Adelaide for his first start he didn’t turn a hair. It’s a huge bonus that he’s got the temperament to match his talent, and he’s become one of the stable favourites very quickly.
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“He’s not the biggest, but he’s got a big heart and a real will to win. When Lachie [Neindorf] asked him for an effort on Saturday, he just put his foot down and really wanted it. That’s a huge weapon in his arsenal and it should hopefully carry him a long way.”
The initial plan had been to send Big Wigs to the paddock after a highly lucrative debut campaign, which also featured a runner-up finish behind Lindsay Park’s Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) contender Medicinal (Brazen Beau) on February 22. However, given how quickly he has recovered from his weekend exertions, the distinct possibility remains that connections will press on with the colt’s campaign and raise their sights to stakes company in the coming weeks.
His late strength in The Showdown would indicate that 1400 metres or perhaps even a mile would be within the colt’s comfort zone, which opens up the prospect of chasing Group 1 glory in the Sires Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick in three weeks’ time.
“We got a message through from the stable on Sunday morning and apparently he’s come through the run super,” said Murray.
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“So they’re going to have a look at the upcoming program and see if there might be another suitable option. Stokesy hasn’t mentioned anything about the Sires Produce or anything like that, so I don’t know whether we’d consider throwing it a late nomination, but you’d have to think that 1400 metres would be no issue. That might just be me getting carried away at this stage, but you have to dream in this game.”
To have bred such a precocious colt from a mare who cost Santic a mere $20,000 via Inglis Digital in 2020 is certainly the stuff of dreams. A bleeding attack saw Nooks And Crannies (Denman) retired from racing in 2019 after eight starts and three wins for Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds.
She was subsequently sold by Aquis in foal to Divine Prophet (Choisir), and whilst that mating only produced a moderate performer in Noadiah, her progeny since then have certainly elevated the mare’s profile.
Cavity Bay (Cable Bay), who recently joined Clarry Conners’ stable, won the VOBIS Gold Elstroem (1300m) at her third start and was also stakes-placed on three occasions during her time in Victoria with Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
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Her baby brother looks to have even more upside. The colt has also become the latest flag-bearer for Widden Victoria resident Gold Standard (Sebring), who has so far registered a remarkable 42 winners from 74 starters. Among his progeny are stakes-placed pair Gage Roads and Golden Queen, while the headliner is 2022 JJ Atkins (Gr 1, 1600m) hero Sheza Belter – all from his debut crop.
Nooks And Crannies’ fourth foal, a filly by Yulong’s emerging sire Lucky Vega (Lope De Vega), is also set to race in the Makybe colours after she was passed in at the recent Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
“The mare throws a really good type,” said Murray.
“She’s a particularly attractive mare and her foals have all been in the same mould. Gold Standard is also a beautiful looking horse so it’s no surprise that Big Wigs is a lovely colt. He’s jet black and has that Lonhro look, so he always stood out from the very start.
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“Gold Standard was sent some mares off the back of Sheza Belter’s win in the JJ Atkins, and I’d say you’ll see a few more of his progeny starting to pop up now. It looks like he can produce a good one and it would be nice if Big Wigs can now fly the flag for the stallion, and for our farm.
“We tried to sell Big Wigs’ half-sister at the Premier Sale, but she didn’t make her $100,000 reserve. We weren’t prepared to go any lower because we knew the colt had a fair bit of talent, even though he hadn’t won at that point.
“So, his win in The Showdown came a few weeks too late for the buying bench, but I’d say that if we were to put the Lucky Vega filly online now, you’d get $100,000 for her in a heartbeat.
“As it turns out we’re happy to keep her and race her, and I’d say some of the Big Wigs’ ownership group might now jump into her. Tony is organising a barbecue at the farm on Friday, so there’s a good chance another deal will be done over a bottle or two of red wine.”
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While the celebrations continue back in Gnarwarre on the outskirts of Geelong, Murray will be making his way west to South Australia to oversee the farm’s yearlings at the Adelaide Magic Millions Sale.
Makybe will offer three lots as part of the Rosden Park draft, with Murray hopeful that their Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) filly (Lot 63), Tassort (Brazen Beau) colt (Lot 318) and Russian Revolution (Snitzel) colt (Lot 293) will defy the recent trend towards an increasingly selective market and catch the eye of the buying bench.
“It’s been a tough sales season for us but we do have high hopes for Adelaide,” said Murray.
“We’ve offered some lovely yearlings this year but maybe because some of the sires haven’t been in fashion, they perhaps haven’t sold quite as well as we would’ve liked. But hopefully the Big Wigs brand will give us a bit of a helping hand in the sales ring at Adelaide.
“The Spirit Of Boom filly is a half-sister to Bold Response, who has won a few races for Julius Sandhu. She’s a really attractive filly who has muscled up nicely over the past few weeks, so I’d say she might prove popular. The Tassort colt is a beautiful mover, and even though he was a November foal he’s a very smart horse, much like Big Wigs.
“I also like our filly Saluki, who we’ll be looking to sell at the Gold Coast Horses in Training Sale later this year. She jumped out really well before the Maribyrnong Plate [Gr 3, 1000m] last year, but then she overraced badly on debut so maybe it all came too quickly for her.
“We’ve transferred her to David Vandyke’s stable on the Sunshine Coast, and if she settles in well in Queensland and figures things out, I do think she might be able to win a race or two for us before we put her up for sale because she’s definitely got a bit of ability.
“Most of our horses have been performing really well on the track, even if we haven’t had the results we would’ve hoped for in the sales ring. But hopefully we can start to turn it around in Adelaide.”
