Co-trainer Michael Hawkes has revealed that talented sprinter Chautauqua and Deep Field have both thrived since being sent to the spelling paddock at the end of their 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaigns.

Deep Field as well as stablemate Chautauqua will return to pre-training next week ahead of their 2015 Autumn Racing Carnival campaigns. Photo by: Steve Hart

Chautauqua was sent to the spelling paddock after he finished a close second behind Terravista in the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 8, while Deep Field finished his campaign with a maiden win at Group level in the Salinger Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

Hawkes told Racing Ahead this morning that he has received nothing but positive reports about the condition of Chautauqua during his stint away from Team Hawkes’ Flemington-based stable and he said that he was thrilled with the firsthand look he got at Deep Field last week.

“Chautauqua is still out spelling and he is thriving,” Hawkes said.

“He is very, very well and I saw Deep Field on Thursday after the Wyong races.

“I ducked across to the farm there.

“Those two are probably due to go back in at the later part of the week or next week.

“They are both thriving, they both look awesome and they have both done super.”

Team Hawkes are yet to decide what races that Chautauqua and Deep Field will contest during their autumn campaigns, but he said that the plan is to try and keep the pair separate in the early stages of their preparation.

Hawkes admits that it is likely the two leading meetings will race at one stage, with the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick during The Championships a possible target, and he said that at this stage he does not believe there is a great deal of difference between the two sprinters.

“Chautauqua is in Melbourne and Deep Field is here in Sydney,” Hawkes said.

“Where they start and where they finish are two different things.

“Deep Field is five from five and being an entire we are trying to keep that intact, but there is no doubt they will clash later on.

“To start with we will probably separate, but where they are going to start we are still up in the air about.

“I think that Chautauqua went to another level after he left his Sydney preparation, but they are both exciting horses going forward.

“You line them up one against each other and they are both different horses and they both have different attributes.

“There would be a head between them whichever way and I am not really sure.”

Chautauqua has recorded four wins from his ten race starts and accumulated over $550,000 in prizemoney for connections, while Deep Field has recorded five race wins from as many starts and sits just shy of $300,000 in prizemoney.