Big Win for High Chaparral Colt

Tara Madgwick - Saturday July 28
The last crop of foals by ill-fated Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral (IRE) will turn three at the end of this season and may provide a fitting finale to a wonderful stud career.

 

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained High Chaparral colt Thinkin' Big showed the promise of classic success in the future with his stylish win at Rosehill on Saturday.




A full brother to Group III winner Stampede, Think' Big (images Steve Hart) won on debut at Canterbury last month before finishing third at Randwick over 1200 metres three weeks ago.

Thinkin' Big returns to scaleStepped up to a more suitable 1500 metres for this assignment, he showed his class and staying ability to lead throughout and hold off a challenge from the race favourite Laburnum to win comfortably in the end by a length and a quarter.

Before the race, co-trainer Gai Waterhouse was upbeat in her assessment of Thinkin' Big declaring him 'a very good colt who would be even better at three and four'.

Thinkin' Big was bred and retained to race by Peter Dunn of Dodmark Thoroughbreds and was foaled at Coolmore.

He is the second winner for classy Tale of the Cat (USA) staying filly Nothin Leica Cat, who was second in the Group I BRC Queensland Oak and is from a half-sister to Group II winner I Am a Ripper.

Nothin' Leica Cat has a weanling filly by So You Think and was covered last spring by American Pharoah (USA).


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