News

Chautauqua gallops into favouritism for Newmarket Handicap

15th Feb 2015

SMH - Michael Lynch - Saturday, 14 February 2014

Chautauqua, one of the world's highest-ranked sprinters, galloped into favouritism for the $1 million Newmarket Handicap next month when he resumed with a narrow but impressive win in the group 2 Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

The $1.85 favourite got up by only a short neck over Flamberge ($17), but it was the manner of his success - finding trouble in the run, getting clear and then finishing fast to grab the leader on the line - that pleased co-trainer Wayne Hawkes.

Chautauqua will face much stiffer tests in the next few months, when group 1 races such as the Newmarket, at Flemington, and the TJ Smith Stakes during The Championships in Sydney will be on his agenda, but this was a good way to limber up for the tasks ahead.

The runner up, Flamberge, is a handy and consistent sprinter and thus a good yardstick, while the third home, Atmospherical, is a lightly raced and improving mare who was good enough to win at listed level during the Flemington spring carnival.

Chautauqua stepped into the big time during that Cup week when he ran a close second in the group 1 Darley Classic behind Terravista, a run that established him as the third highest-ranked sprinter in the global classifications behind the winner that day and the horse who ran third, Lankan Rupee. They have an international score of 123, while Chautauqua is rated 122.

Hawkes was full of praise for the grey gelding's regular rider, Dwayne Dunn, who kept cool despite a tardy start and when the field turned for home with his mount out the back with only one behind him.

"He's a proper horse. In all seriousness, Dwayne gave him a 15 out of 10 ride. I always thought the way the race would end up he would be in a bugger of a spot, and that's the way it was.

"Dwayne didn't panic, he just sat, waited and got him balanced, he never got him off stride. He's only just won, if you get him off stride and off balance he doesn't win.

"They are not hacks those horses, they are old seasoned, tough horses. But if he had clean galloping room you know what he would have done to them."

Hawkes said the son of Encosta De Lago definitely would not run in the Oakleigh Plate, while stable companion Deep Field, who is also highly rated, would run in next month's Newmarket Handicap.

"Maybe we will go straight to the Newmarket. He could only win, the best thing was he didn't have a gutbuster... and that's important for these horses - he's got a long way to go."

Dunn added: "He just got bottled up in the corner, but once he got clear he had to dig deep just to pick off the second horse, so he's come back really good. That was like his second barrier trial this time in, we are looking for plenty of improvement.

"He has got a few races ahead of him to really peak at. Today probably wasn't the race that you wanted him at his best, but you wanted him to win."