Chautauqua Claims Manikato With Ease

Chautauqua, who stamped himself among the leading sprinters in his country when taking last season’s G1 T J Smith S. at The Championships Apr. 6, staked his claim as the top sprinter in the world with an eye-catching victory in Friday’s Manikato S. As the last-start G1 Moir S. winner Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}) and Tiger Tees (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}) jumped away swiftly from the gates to go forward, the lightly raced Rich Enuff (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) charged through to settle in second behind Buffering, who ensured the tempo was hot. Settling with Griante (Aus) (Good Journey) three lengths beyond the third-last horse, Rebel Dane, jockey Tommy Berry urged Chautauqua to come towards the outside of the field before the home turn. As Buffering started to show his customary fight and kick rounding the bend into the short Moonee Valley home straight, the runs started to come as the dual Group 1-winning mare Srikandi was the first to make her challenge, although it was short-lived as Chautauqua mowed her down to hit the lead, pulling away for a dominant two length victory. It was a first Group 1 win in Melbourne for Tommy Berry, a leading rider in Sydney.

“It was a super effort,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes told Racing.com. “He was certainly made to earn it but that is what it is all about when you’re the ‘hot pot’. He’ll go to Flemington [next for the G1 VRC Sprint Nov. 7], then we’ll see how he pulls up. We’re taking it one race at a time. Then, you never know, we might go and meet the Queen. He’s the best sprinter I’ve ever touched, that’s for sure.”

Prior to his T J Smith breakthrough, Chautauqua had been knocking on the door in Group 1 company in a contentious sprint division last season. He rounded out his campaign after the T J Smith with a respectable third when upped to 1400 meters in the G1 All Aged S. Apr. 18, and has been unbeaten thus far this season with clear-cut wins in the G2 McEwen S. Sept. 5 and the G2 Gilgai S. Oct. 4.

Chautauqua could get his chance to prove himself on the global stage before a potential trip to Royal Ascot; connections mentioned the G1 Hong Kong Sprint Dec. 13. as another possible target.

Friday, Moonee Valley, Australia
MANIKATO S.-G1, A$1,000,000, Moonee Valley, 10-23, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.51.
1–CHAUTAUQUA (AUS), 129, g, 5, by Encosta de Lago (Aus)
1st Dam: Lovely Jubly (Aus), by Lion Hunter (Aus)
2nd Dam: Jaboulet (NZ), by Vice Regal (NZ)
3rd Dam: Avadell (NZ), by In The Purple (Fr)
(A$300,000 RNA yrl ‘12 INGEAS) O-R & C Legh Racing (Mgrs: R
& Mrs C Legh), G P I Racing (Mgr: G Ingham), Gurners
Bloodstock (Mgr: M A Ramsden), G Pulitano, S W Kay, Ms M A
Keating, Wright Racing (Mgrs: P & R Wright) & Throsby Racing
Syndicate (Mgr:ms E R S Throsby); B-Woodbury Pty Ltd;
T-Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes; J-Tommy Berry;
A$600,000. Lifetime Record: 17-9-5-1, A$3,251,250. Werk
Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Srikandi (Aus), 124, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Raining (Aus), by
Hurricane Sky (Aus). O-T A Mobbs, P Tsimiklis, T McGrath, J M
Bridges, J Bridges, A J Sinclair, S Gillespie, S Loughnan, D J H
Anderson, D S Purvis, Ms A Purvis, W Stapleton, L Lamude & C
Ntzounas; B-J Collins; T-Ciaron Maher; A$180,000.
3–Rebel Dane (Aus), 129, h, 6, California Dane (Aus)–Texarcana
(Aus), by More Than Ready. O-Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd
(Mgr: L J Mihalyka), J V Murphy, P M Kite, M W Powell, C J
Baker, S J Lindley, R H Spee, T J Gleeson, N A Parbery, G
Zivkovic, A N Fitzgerald, Simpson-Morgan (Mgr: G M
Simpson-Morgan), Rdfit Pty Ltd (Mgr: S C Cook) & Pardon
(Mgr: K G Sheppard); B-Laurel Oak Texarcana Syndicate;
T-Gary Portelli; A$90,000.
Margins: 2, NO, HD. Odds: 1.45, 8.00, 12.00.
Also Ran: Fast ‘N’ Rocking (Aus), Buffering (Aus), Tiger Tees (NZ), Terravista (Aus), Griante (Aus), Alpha Miss (Aus), Rich Enuff (Aus). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.