World class sprinter Chautauqua was asked plenty of questions at his first ever start over 1000m and first look around Moonee Valley today, but the grey flash showed why people flock to racecourses to see him with a dazzling victory in the Group 2 MVRC Ian McEwen Stakes.

Peter Snowden walked into the ring to try and buy a Lonhro filly at the Inglis Easter Sales last year and was blown out of the water but minutes later he was offered the chance to train Kangarilla Joy.

Credited with giving exciting young sire Star Witness his first stakes-winner, talented colt The Barrister has been sold and will do his future racing in Hong Kong.

Uniquely, the Widden Stud in the Widden Valley, a spur off the south western end of the Hunter Valley, has two young sires in its historic stallion yards shaping up very good winner-getters who were not only brilliant Group 1 winning Australian racehorses, but also performers who turned in good efforts in one of England’s most prestigious sprints, the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot.