News

Tommy Berry gets nod for Chautauqua ride

22nd Apr 2016

AAP - Thursday 21 April 2016

Tommy Berry is the confirmed rider for Chautauqua in the Chairman's Sprint Prize.

Berry has beaten Melbourne jockey Dwayne Dunn for the mount on the world's highest-rated sprinter at Sha Tin on Sunday week.

In the early stages of his second riding stint in Japan, Berry said he was looking forward to representing Australia on the world stage.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity," he said.

Berry rode Chautauqua to a last-to-first win in the TJ Smith Stakes during The Championships at Randwick on April 2.

It was his third win on Chautauqua following Group One success in last year's TJ Smith Stakes and Manikato Stakes.

But Berry's most recent win on the sprinter wasn't enough to lock in the Hong Kong ride until Hawkes Racing made an announcement on Thursday.

Dunn has been on the five-year-old for six victories, winning the Lightning Stakes at the start of the sprinter's latest campaign.

Depending on where Chautauqua runs, the Hawkes stable splits the ride between Berry and Dunn.

Dunn gets first call in Melbourne and Berry has the inside running in Sydney.

Chautauqua will clash with Australian crowd favourite Buffering at Sha Tin.

Buffering posted the first international win of his career in capturing the Group One Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai last month.

Trainer Rob Heathcote said Buffering was a different horse to the one which finished unplaced in the 2014 Hong Kong Sprint.

"He's great, he's much better than he was last time we came here," Heathcote said.

Chautauqua was among a galaxy of overseas stars to work at Sha Tin on Thursday morning in preparation for the Chairman's Sprint, the QEII Cup and the Champions Mile

Australia will be represented by Rising Romance in the QEII Cup as well as Bow Creek who runs in the Champions Mile for Godolphin.