The aptly named Big Money is the biggest earner in Rod Northam’s Scone stable but it’s taken longer than the trainer hoped for him to win a race in Sydney.
Most of Big Money’s $621,000 plus has come from Brisbane where he has won three stakes races.
Big Money
The six-year-old ran third in the Expressway Stakes at Rosehill late last month and Northam brought him back to Sydney for Saturday’s Group Three Southern Cross Stakes (1200m).
Former Victorian, Group One-placed Rich Enuff was the $2.45 favourite to make a winning debut for Peter and Paul Snowden but it was Big Money ($8) and veteran Decision Time ($16) who fought out the finish.
Big Money got the decision by a half head with Rich Enuff another short head third.
“He really deserves that. It’s his first Sydney win,” Northam said.
“For some reason he gets back further in his races in Sydney but now he’s won we will map out a plan.
“He’s in the TJ Smith but the Galaxy is an option and he’s also in the Doncaster.
“And there is always Brisbane again. It’s just great to see him win.”
Champion jockey Robert Thompson knows Big Money better than most and was confident he had won.
“We only had to win by that far,” he said.
Decision Time’s trainer Clarry Conners has no big races in mind for the durable eight-year-old who ran second to Crystal Lily in the 2010 Golden Slipper.
“He’s just a great old horse,” Conners said.
“I guess his career is coming to an end but he tries so hard.”
