News

Chautauqua Set To Fly After Second Gilgai

4th Oct 2015

Flemington’s first day of Melbourne’s Spring Carnival saw Inglis graduates sweep the first four races of the day, highlighted by Chautauqua’s gripping Group 2 Gilgai Stakes victory which cemented plans for a trip to Hong Kong at the end of the year.

Superstar sprinter Chautauqua (Encosta de Lago x Lovely Jubly) defended his Group 2 VRC Gilgai Stakes title today, winning the 1200m challenge for the second consecutive year. Giving fans cause for concern, the gelding found himself in a pocket until the 300m mark when he exhibited his trademark turn of foot and rocketed to the lead to win by a length for Hawkes Racing.

“Chautauqua is Chautauqua and once he gets a clear run he runs home in probably some pretty silly times that not many horses can do,” said co-trainer Wayne Hawkes.

“He can sit and sprint. The good horses have a great turn of foot and he’s just got a ridiculously good turn of foot,” said Hawkes.

Hawkes went on to confirm that December’s Hong Kong Sprint is still on his radar for Chautauqua, and domestic races would be targeted based on their fit with the gelding’s program.

“There’s obviously the Darley Classic and the race at Moonee Valley (Manikato Stakes) in a couple of weeks, but we’re trying to get to Hong Kong for the big one so whatever fits in going really well for that.”

Jockey Dwayne Dunn credited the gelding’s talents when describing the race, saying “I thought if I came back a length, they get away from me a length and we probably get beaten so to his credit I had to smash him in between them,”

“I know what he can do and we know how good he’s going. Although today wasn’t very pretty we go the job done,” Dunn said.

Chautauqua failed to meet his $400,000 reserve when he was offered by Berkeley Park Stud at the 2012 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. Today he took his earnings past $2.6 million across eight wins from 16 starts.

Melbourne's first two-year-old race of the season, the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Plate over 1000m went to Sweet Sherry (Bel Esprit x Amoroso) under the guidance of Damien Oliver.

A $260,000 purchase for her trainer Brent Stanley’s Cloud 9 Thoroughbreds, the filly was offered from the draft of Swettenham Stud at this year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. She is a half-sister to fellow Inglis Premier Swettenham Stud graduate and Group 2 winner Arinosa.

Following this debut win, Stanley will target the filly at the $250,000 RL Inglis Banner on Cox Plate Day, with the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper in mind for the Autumn.

"I've got no doubt she's a very high quality filly, and there's no doubt she's got plenty of improvement to come," said Stanley.

"We haven't got to the bottom of her at all. Through the preparation I said she might make it to the top level on what she's showing us at the moment, and she's ticked another box today,” said Stanley.

One For One (Duke Of Marmalade x Stolen Girlfriend) added to his consistent record taking out the Listed VRC Poseidon Stakes over 1400m for South Australian trainer Phillip Stokes and Craig Williams. The gelding, which was a $40,000 purchase for his trainer from The Old Crossing draft at the 2014 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, has now won three and placed in the remaining three of his six career starts and has earned over $120,000 for his syndicate of owners.

“He’s a nice horse, he’s been progressing really well at home,” said Stokes.

“He’s a very fit horse, he put himself there and made his own luck,” Stokes said.

Bred and sold by Burnewang North Pastoral at the 2014 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Ayers Rock (Nicconi x Vintage Rock) lead all the way to win the Listed VRC UCI Stakes over 1800m under the guidance of Darren Gauci. Trainer Shawn Mathrick purchased the colt for $110,000, which will now attempt to replicate the feat of fellow Inglis graduate Polanski, that went on to win the Group 1 VRC Derby following his UCI Stakes win in 2013.

"I've spruiked this horse from the day we broke him in," said Mathrick.

"When I broke him in and started working him he just had a magnificent gait on him. I said if this horse can gallop, with the gait he's got he'll be hard to beat in the Derby,” Mathrick said.

Sires of stakes-winners today represented at The Star Ready2Race Sale include Choisir, AL Maher and Bel Esprit. Selling begins at 11.00am Tuesday 6 October.