Chautauqua, who came of age in last year's G1 TJ Smith S. at The Championships and added Moonee Valley's G1 Manikato S. in the spring, got his autumn campaign started in the right style Saturday when beating four other Group 1 winners first-up in Flemington's G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. going 1000 metres up the straight. The grey was off a half-step slow but that suited him fine, as he dropped back to his customary spot at the back in the scratched-down field of six. The field promptly split into two packs, with G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Japonisme leading the stands' side group with Chautauqua in rear and Va Pensiero leading Godolphin's Exopshere up the inside fence. Terravista appeared the likely winner passing the 200 metre mark, passing Japonisme to hit the lead while that rival and Exosphere came under rides and Chautauqua looked beaten. Terravista's rider, Damien Oliver, fumbled his whip just as Chautauqua found his stride, however, and the grey streaked up the outside rail to nail his rivals on the wire. “I hope the crowd were excited, because where I was from my seat it wasn't real pleasant for a while,” Chautauqua's rider Dwayne Dunn told Racing.com. “What about the turn of foot late and his endeavour to hit the line? Today he just showed his true class.”
Chautauqua, whose mating was the result of a season to Encosta de Lago bought to support the Victorian Bushfire Appeal in 2009, was offered by breeder Edwina Throsby's Woodbury Stud at Inglis Easter in 2012, but was bought back at A$300,000 after failing to meet his reserve. Throsby is part of the ownership group that now races Chautauqua. The gelding showed black-type promise at two, winning the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas over 1400 metres less than a month before his third birthday, but he began to shine when dropped back to 1200 metres the following season, scooping the G3 Bobbie Lewis Quality S. and G2 Gilgai S. before finishing second to Terravista in the 2014 G1 Darley Classic. He resurfaced last autumn to win the G2 Rubiton S., and was second in the Newmarket before streaking home an impressive winner of the TJ Smith at The Championships. He was put away for a winter holiday after finishing third when trying 1400 metres again in the G1 All Aged S. two weeks later. Chautauqua kicked off his 5-year-old campaign last spring with three straight wins–in the G2 McEwan S., the Gilgai and the G1 Manikato S.–but suffered an upset defeat by Delectation (Aus) (Shamardal) when again second in the Darley Classic when last seen Nov. 7.
Wayne Hawkes, who trains Chautauqua in partnership with his father John and brother Michael, told Racing.com Saturday he was concerned when the grey initially stalled in the closing stages of the Lightning.
“Today was going to be his most vulnerable day–you're soft, you're underdone,” Hawkes said. “He's bigger and stronger than what he's ever been. I reckon the thing that was a bit freaky was the last 200 metres, how he ran those horses down. To mow those super horses down, that was one hell of an effort.”
The Lightning is the first leg in the Global Sprint Challenge, and Chautauqua could travel abroad for a shot at another of that series' prizes–the G1 King's Stand S. or G1 Diamond Jubilee S.–at Royal Ascot in June. Before that, however, his targets are likely to be the G1 Newmarket H. Mar. 12 and a title defense of the TJ Smith at The Championships Apr. 2.
Chautauqua's dam, the dual Group 1 winner Lovely Jubly, has a yearling filly by More Than Ready. Her foal by All Too Hard (Aus) produced last year died.
Saturday, Flemington, Australia
BLACK CAVIAR LIGHTNING S.-G1, A$737,500, VRC, 2-20, Open WFA, 1000mT, 0:57.02, Good.
1–CHAUTAUQUA, 58.5, g, 5, by Encosta de Lago
1st Dam: Lovely Jubly (MG1SW-Aus, A$1,468,500), by Lion Hunter
2nd Dam: Jaboulet (NZ), by Vice Regal (NZ)
3rd Dam: Avadell (NZ), by In the Purple (FR)
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; B-Woodbury Pty Ltd NSW; T-M, W & J Hawkes; J-D
Dunn; A$452,500. Lifetime Record: 19-10-6-1, A$3,883,750.
*1/2 to London Lolly (Charge Forward), GSW-Aus, A$186,335.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Terravista, 58.5, g, 6, Captain Rio (GB)–Parfore (NZ), by Gold
Brose. O-N B Couper, A J Rix, G J Robinson, T M Ungar, I A
McKinnon, I G Cornell, Mrs L M Blundell, P W Callaghan, P J
Trowbridge & Ms J M Barnier; B-Mr M Ryan NSW; T-Joseph
Pride; J-D Oliver; A$135,000.
3–Japonisme, 55.5, g, 3, Choisir–Haiku, by Encosta de Lago.
O-Ingham Racing (Mgrs: Ms L J Ingham, J A Ingham, R C
Ingham, Mrs D N Kepitis); B-Ingham Racing NSW; T-C J Waller;
J-G Schofield; A$67,500.
Margins: 0.1 len, 0.2 len, 1.7 len. Odds: 1.80, 5.50, 6.00.
Also Ran: Exosphere, Delectation, Va Pensiero. Scratched: Kinglike. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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