He will be a long way from Moonee Valley but come Saturday, Big Bonanza will be in the same shoes as Cox Plate runner Sincero.
The two Wyong-trained horses will be competing within half an hour of one another, in separate cities and races.
While Sincero will line up at Moonee Valley against the country’s best in the Cox Plate, Big Bonanza will sport silks in the final event at Rosehill.
And while the Don Robb-trained Big Bonanza will never fill Sincero’s shoes, he does share the same shoe supplier.
“The farrier that works for (Sincero’s trainer) Stephen Farley also works for me,” Robb said.
“I just hope the farrier’s done the right thing for Sincero – he’s actually here listening to what I’m saying.”
Robb, who has been training at Wyong for 18 years, has another connection to Sincero.
Along with training a small team, he also runs a horse transport business and trucked Sincero from the sales ring to Farley’s stables after he was bought as a yearling.
More recently, Robb transported the Group One performer to Melbourne where he has been based for his spring campaign.
“I really don’t like to comment on other peoples’ horses, but I’ll be cheering him on and I hope he wins,” Robb said.
While Big Bonanza isn’t in the same grade as the Cox Plate runner, the “all-round nice guy” of a horse is a staple of Robb’s stable.
“He’s no superstar, but he’s a nice bread-and-butter horse,” Robb said.
“Right now, I’m standing and rubbing his backside, and he’s good as gold.”
Big Bonanza has won seven of his 24 starts – five of them over the 1200m of Saturday’s race.
“He’s in good form at the moment and he’ll be very competitive,” Robb said.
Nigel Seymour is booked to ride Big Bonanza at Rosehill but is in some doubt after he was injured in a tumble at Scone races on Tuesday.
“I just hope that he’s fit and well to ride on Saturday,” Robb said.
“At this stage he is, but I’m sure Tommy Berry would jump on the horse for me.”
Robb’s hoping the stars will align to bring the two Wyong horses back-to-back victories.
But if it doesn’t work out for Sincero, Robb says he’s more than happy to pick up the pieces for Farley.
“Sincero is a much better horse than Big Bonanza, but if Stephen Farley wants to get rid of him, I’ll take him over,” Robb said, tongue firmly in cheek.
“He’s big and fat and ugly that bloke, but his horse is quite a nice horse. I like his horse.”
