Chautauqua Autumn Plans

Chautauqua heads to the paddock with a light autumn preparation aimed at a three-peat of the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

Team Hawkes closed down the spring for Chautauqua, ruling out the G1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 5, after the gelding’s pedestrian performance in last Friday night’s G1 Manikato Stakes.

While many thought the return to the straight course at Flemington would provide Chautauqua with a spring redemption, co-owner Rupert Legh said the horse’s welfare was the overriding consideration.

“We are going to give the horse a really good spell with some warm temperature, freshen him up then bring him back for one run then the T.J. (Smith Stakes),” Legh said.

“When horses are mentally jaded like he obviously is, there is no point pushing him. We are not chasing money; we have always looked after him.

“We will get him checked out thoroughly on Monday.”

Legh rolled out a delightful analogy in explaining the lacklustre performances this spring by Chautauqua.

“He met a filly in Hong Kong and hasn’t got over her,” Legh said.

“I have tried to keep it pretty simple. Everyone has been asking me ‘how is Chautauqua’ and I’ve said ‘just lovesick’.

Legh queries whether Chautauqua has recovered from the trip in May to Hong Kong where he won the G1 Chairman’s Sprint, but endured the gelding spent a total of six weeks in quarantine.

“It was a hard race, he flew home into a cold winter,” Legh said.

“I think he put the writing on the wall in the Moir. Even though he hit the line, I thought he should have done more.”

After Chautauqua’s first-up fourth behind Extreme Choice in the G1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 30, Legh’s fears were realised when the five-time G1 winner finished equal seventh behind Rebel Dane in the G1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) last Friday night.

What particularly concerned Legh as well as jockey Dwayne Dunn is that horses passed Chautauqua over the final 200 metres. Normally, Chautauqua’s blistering closing is his signature – he gobbles up rivals.

Dunn said Chautauqua was unable to accelerate as he would normally and was just not his normal self.

– g1x.com.au

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