Super sprinter Chautauqua is back in work and will be given another chance to prove himself at the top level during the 2018 Spring Carnival.
Chautauqua, above, is back in work heading towards a Spring campaign. Photo by Steve Hart.
Chautauqua’s 2018 Autumn Carnival campaign was aborted and he was sent to the paddock without facing the starter on race day after he refused to jump from the barriers on four separate occasions in barrier trials in his pre-race preparation.
The Team Hawkes trained international Group 1 winner is back in work with some sessions on the water walker and co-trainer Wayne Hawkes has his fingers crossed that the old Chautauqua will be back in action in the Spring chasing more Group 1 trophies.
“He’s back at the water walker and he’s going to be there for a couple of weeks before he goes back to the beach,” Wayne Hawkes told racing.com.
“We’ve shown him all the videos, shown him what’s what and how’s how and who’s who in the zoo, so fingers crossed (he’s get back to the track).”
Chautauqua hasn’t been to the races since finishing fourth to Redzel in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the last day of the 2017 Melbourne Carnival which followed a fourth to Redzel in the $10m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14.
A similar program could be on the cards this Spring but first Chautauqua would have to show he was the ‘Grey Flash‘ of old to fill a slot in this year’s The Everest which has had the prizemoney boosted to $13 million.
While under the care of John, Wayne and Michael Hawkes, Chautauqua has amassed just over $8.8 million in prizemoney from thirteen wins from thirty-two starts which includes six at Group 1 level.
At one stage of his career Chautauqua was rated as the number one sprinter in the world after winning three consecutive $2.5m T J Smith Stakes (1200m) (2015, 2016 and 2017) at Randwick as well as winning on the international stage with a last to first victory in the 2016 Group 1 HK$10,000,000 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin in Hong Kong.
Chautauqua will have to prove to Racing New South Wales Stewards that he will leave the starting gates with the rest of the field in two official barrier trials before being cleared to return to the races.
