BIG Money scored one of the most impressive Ramornie Handicap wins seen at Grafton for a number of years two weeks ago.
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It followed a win in the Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm the start prior for the chestnut gelding trained at Scone by Rod Northam.
While the gelding is out spelling now, he might be headed for another win early next month.
Big Money is one of three finalists in the NSW Racehorse Owners Association Champion Country Horse of the Year.
And he has close company too, with stablemate Myamira also nominated.
Another Scone-trained galloper, the Paul Messara-prepared Havana, makes up the three-horse final list.
It’s something of a coup for Scone, already recognised as the Horse Capital of Australia.
The Scone Race Club’s hugely successful May Cup Carnival now outstrips any other country meeting with its multi million dollar two-day carnival, including a stand alone Saturday metropolitan meeting.
At the recent Clarence River Jockey Club July Racing Carnival in Grafton, Scone-trained horses were to the fore, with Scone-based trainers Northam, Luke Griffith and Michael Gallagher all successful.
Northam won two of the feature races, with Myamira (South Grafton Cup) and Big Money (Ramornie) prominent.
Myamira, which also won the Group 3 Belle Of the Turf at Gosford, beat the Griffith-trained Bouzy Rouge home in the South Grafton Cup.
She is out spelling now with Big Money, who won four of his five starts.
Messara’s Havana also excelled, winning a Group 3 at Doomben last month.
While the three Scone horses are nominated for the NSW Racehorse Owners Association night of nights, Scone Race Club has its own awards presentation looming.
The Hunter and North West Racing Association Horse of the Year Awards will be held at Scone’s September 26 meeting.
Robert Thompson, who rode both Myamira and Big Money to their recent Grafton successes, will be honoured when presented with the inaugural Bede Thomas Services to Racing Award, an award named in honour of the late Bede Thomas, a tireless worker for the Inverell Jockey Club as well as the HNWRA over many years.