The John F Feehan Stakes on September 10, 2005, will honour Dato’ Tan Chin Nam, one of Australia’s biggest and most successful racehorse owners.

Whilst the G2 1600m race’s official registered name will remain as the John F Feehan Stakes, it will now be publicly recognised as the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes.

Dato’ Tan Chin Nam, a Malaysian property developer, has poured more than $10 million into the Australian racing industry and has owned horses the calibre of dual Melbourne Cup winner Think Big, 1998 Doncaster Handicap winner Catalan Opening and 1996 Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup winner Saintly.

He has owned almost 200 horses and amassed more than $12 million in prizemoney.

Dato Tan Chin Nam turns 80 in March next year and the naming of such a major race in his honour is a fitting tribute to his enormous contribution to the thoroughbred industry.

Trainer Bart Cummings is the person largely responsible for introducing Dato’ Tan Chin Nam to the sport of kings.

To coincide with the re-naming of the Feehan Stakes in his honour, Dato’ Tan Chin Nam has donated funds towards the development of the Saintly Spring Star Award. The award is based on a points system for horses that perform well in Moonee Valley’s feature spring races.

The Saintly Spring Star Award takes in 18 black type races from August 13 – October 22. They include the Group 1 Cox Plate and Manikato Stakes, seven Group 2, four Group 3 and five listed races.

The owners of the winning horse that accumulates the most points in those races will receive $5000 cash, a special handcrafted trophy worth $5,000 and a trip for two to the Hong Kong International Series in December.

Bart Cummings will present the award at Moonee Valley’s Derby Eve race meeting on Friday October 28 and Saintly himself will be a special guest on the night.

John F Feehan will continue to be widely recognised by the Club and his family have supported this positive new initiative with Dato’ Tan Chin Nam.

“The registered name of the race will remain as the John F Feehen Stakes so his legacy will continue to live on and his family has been very accepting of this valuable sponsorship opportunity,” said MVRC Chief Executive John Cameron.

“Through Dato’ Tan Chin Nam’s generosity we have been able to add an exciting new concept to the Moonee Valley Racing Club and also pay tribute to a man who has been one of the huge yet widely underestimated players in Australian racing.”

The winner of the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes is exempt from the Carlton Draught Cox Plate ballot. Entries close for the 2005 Carlton Draught Cox Plate on Tuesday August 2.

Source: Moonee Valley Race Club Media Release