Cauthen has failed to live up to his potential during his racing career to date, but trainer Andrew Campbell remains confident that the best is still ahead of the rising five-year-old.
Cauthen stamped himself as a horse to watch when he scored an impressive victory in the 2013 edition of the McKenzie Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Cauthen is now back in the care of Campbell after stints with Trent Busuttin and John Sargent and is reportedly close to his first race start since he finished sixth behind subsequent Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Toorak Handicap winner Trust In A Gust in the Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield on September 20.
Campbell has had a very big opinion of Cauthen since he made his racing debut with a dominant eight and a half lengths victory in the Goldpine Maiden (1200m) at Te Rapa on July 3 in 2013 and he believes that this could finally be the preparation that the Darci Brahma entire delivers on his undoubted potential.
“He’s a very serious horse and these things only seem to happen to the good ones, but he’s had a couple of run alongs and he’s going really well,” Campbell told The New Zealand Racing Desk.
“I’m just hoping that one day he can show the true ability that I know he’s got.
“It seems like he’s been around forever, but he’s only a rising five-year-old.
“He’s had seven starts and the only time he was ever really right was the day the bolted in at Te Rapa.”
Cauthen was sent straight to Australia after his dominant racing debut and he made his racing debut with an unlucky second place finish in the Sweeney Can Do Agents Handicap (1000m) at Moonee Valley on August 3 before he stamped himself as a leading Caulfield Guineas contender when he beat Shamus Award and Long John to take out the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on August 24.
His spring preparation came to an end prematurely when he failed to fire in the Listed Henry Bucks Best Dressed Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 7 and he was restricted to just one start in New Zealand during a summer campaign.
Cauthen was transferred to Trent Busuttin ahead of the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival, but he missed the placings in both the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 6 and the Le Pine Funerals Handicap.
The four-year-old was sent to John Sargent for a 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign, but he did not have a race start due to a wind operation.
Cauthen has recorded two wins from his seven race starts and he has accumulated just over $100,000 in prizemoney for connections.
