Six-time Group 1 winner Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) returned to the yard of John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes with an eye toward The Everest on Oct. 14, reported racenet.com. The 2015/2016 Australian champion sprinter is currently favoured at $4.80 in Sportsbet's futures market.
“The horse looks unbelievable,” Michael Hawkes, who trains with his father John and brother Wayne, told racenet.com. “Yes, he's got a bit whiter I suppose being a bit older now, but he's still a superstar. He's strengthened, he's ticking over well and we're just building him up nice and slowly.”
The G2 The Shorts over 1100 metres at Randwick on Sept. 16 is a likely starting point.
“The Shorts is there first-up, the [G2] Premiere S. [at Randwick on Sept. 30] second-up, and then third-up in the Everest, but who knows. Melbourne is there as well. The way that we travel our horses I don't think it's an issue [travelling to Melbourne before The Everest.] Ideally we would like to see him start in Sydney but I think it will all depend on the weights–the Shorts is set weights and penalties rather than weight-for-age.”
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