THINK BIG
T
hink Big holds an interesting place in Australian racing history. He is one of only five horses to have won the Melbourne Cup more than once, but in many ways is the most unpopular of all. In 1974 he beat the glamour mare Leilani to again give his trainer Bart Cummings a quinella in the race, and in the following year he started at 33/1 after moderate form leading up to the race.
R
ather surprisingly the gelding had his first start as an early 2yo, on 23 September 1972. He was to stay in training until March 1973 although he raced only eight times in that period. His only win came in a 2yo handicap at Cheltenham in Adelaide when carrying only 50kg. On the strength of this win, his next start was in the VRC Sires’ Produce but he could only manage eighth in the ten horse field behind the brilliant Imagele. He followed that up with a fourth in the Gibson Carmichael also at Flemington behind Attilee.
A
well deserved break saw Think Big return as a 3yo in two unsuitable sprint races where he was unplaced before winning an Intermediate over 1600m at Strathalbyn. Another win over the mile at Morphettville saw the gelding head to Melbourne where he won the Carbine Club Stakes beating Marone. Five days later he was to run fourth behind that same horse in the Batman Handicap over 2000m when the 10/9 favourite. He returned to Adelaide to run second behind the brilliant mare Toltrice over 1600m before heading to the paddock.
TURF MONTHLY 43
