World class sprinter Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta De Lago {Aus}) is the subject of a favourable bulletin from his co-trainer Michael Hawkes ahead of an autumn campaign that will be geared towards winning the G1 Darley TJ Smith S. for a third time. “Chautauqua is in pre-training at the moment and really enjoying things but we have a way to go yet. He is in really good condition, he looks super,” Hawkes told Racing.com. The 6-year-old gelding was brilliant in the early part of 2016, beginning the year with a win in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning, then landing his second TJ Smith before traveling to Hong Kong to collect the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize in May. Those efforts appeared to take their toll on Chautauqua as when he returned from a short spell he posted two below par efforts in the G1 Moir S. and G1 Manikato S. both at Moonee Valley.
Reflecting on those slightly lacklustre efforts and his chances of returning to peak form Hawkes added, “Group One racing is the toughest test and he had four big runs which included a trip to Hong Kong and it clearly took its toll. Chautauqua basically has to do the impossible every time he races to win and he really felt it after his victory in Hong Kong, he was very flat for a couple of days after that effort. I think with the extended break, we can see him at his best once again.” The lucrative international sprint programme tends to dictate where horses of the calibre of Chautauqua line up and Hawkes isn't ruling out testing his star further against the best the world has to offer. “We said last year that we would love to go overseas again with him, whether that is another trip to Hong Kong or even to the UK for Royal Ascot. They remain options, but we will not get caught up in the excitement yet, we just want to see that the real Chautauqua is back.”
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