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The late Dato Tan Nim Chan would have been a proud owner-breeder at Randwick on Saturday watching rising star Sky Boy win the $200,000 Villiers Stakes.
Sky Boy, a homebred by Pendragon from Dato Tan Nim Chan’s Think Big Stud, is raced by his estate in a partnership that includes his long time racing advisor Duncan Ramage.
The exciting 4YO races in Dato Tan Nim Chan’s famous livery of black and white checks with yellow sleeves – reflecting his lifelong passion for chess.Dato Tan Nim Chan died in October at the age of 93, having survived by several years his great friend Bart Cummings, the legendary trainer who prepared his horses for more than 40 years.
Together they won four Melbourne Cups, three WS Cox Plates, two Caulfield Cups, two Victoria Derbys, the AJC Derby and two Oaks as wel as 10 G1 races in Australia and Europe with So You Think.One of his Derby winners was the Elnadim stallion Pendragon, the sire of Sky Boy and a cornerstone of Think Big Stud that was established by Dato Tan in the NSW southern highlands in 2007.
Fittingly Sky Boy (Pendragon x Zazabelle by Zabeel) is trained by Anthony and Edward Cummings, the son and grandson of Bart Cummings who have taken the gelding through the classes in quick time with seven wins and three placings from his first 12 starts for earnings of $420,775.Sky Boy boasts a lasting link to Bart Cummings as he is among eight winners produced by the Zabeel mare Zazabelle, a Melbourne Cup placegetter he trained for Dato Tan.
Zazabelle died after leaving a current unraced three-year-old by Eurozone.Pendragon is also the sire of G2 winner Miss Gunpowder and three other stakes placegetters.
Sky Boy will be set for the G1 Doncaster Mile next year but will be trained alone by Anthony Cummings as his son Edward begins training in his own right from stables at Hawkesbury in January."He is bred to be a Melbourne Cup winner so that's what we will set him for in the spring," Ramage said. "But first he will have a short break and have two runs into the Doncaster."
