Can Chautauqua do the unimaginable again in The Everest?

Clinton Payne - Thursday October 12

At some point during Saturday's inaugural running of the $10 million The Everest there is going to be a group of punters wanting to write off champion Chautauqua but his co-trainer Michael Hawkes says that's what makes him special.

Advertisement
This is Chautauqua doing the unimaginable during the autumn when winning his third T.J Smith Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart

The popular grey is a three-time Group I weight-for-age winning sprinter over Saturday's 1200m Randwick course and goes into the feature contest with the benchmark record of six Group I wins in the locker.

So what makes Chautauqua different? Hawkes, who trains the horse in partnership with his father John and brother Wayne, says it's his ability to overcome adversity.

It's no coincidence that the two races Hawkes used to highlight this trait are arguably the two wins the horse is best remembered for.

Think back to last year when Chautauqua went to Hong Kong to take on some of Asia's best in the Group I Hong Kong Chairman's Sprint, when he came from a hopeless position on the turn to reel in his opponents and record a memorable win.

"If you look every run he has, they are all kind of different in a way, it depends on how he's feeling," Hawkes said.

"One run that comes straight to mind is Hong Kong, everything went so wrong and it turned out so right. That's what probably makes him Chautauqua, he can do the unthinkable.

"Not a lot of people knew he threw two shoes in the mounting yard saddling him up. There was three, four, five of us swinging off his head trying to get the saddle on.

"It's things like that, that in the past he's overcome that makes him different and I suppose that's what makes him what he is."

Connections probably thought their memories of that Hong Kong victory would never be eclipsed, that was until Chautauqua lined up in this year's T.J Smith Stakes where he recorded one of the most amazing wins ever seen on an Australian racetrack.

"Look at last prep," Hawkes said. "We went outside the square and some wrote him off coming back from 1500m to the T.J (Smith Stakes – 1200m).

"During the run there was stages when people dipped their heads and thought this horse can't possibly win but that's what makes him."

Coincidence or by design? We'll never know because Chautauqua isn't Mister Ed, but one thing that is certain - in the past Chautauqua has saved his best for the big occasion and he's had no bigger occasion that Saturday's $10 million The Everest.

"He's like any athlete, it's like Usain Bolt, a swimmer or Winx for that matter, they are all strong when it counts," Hawkes said.

"The last 200m is where it counts and his last 200m is phenomenal, always has been and probably always will be.

"That's a trait that he's got that he really wants to hit the line, attack the line and he certainly still wants to be there because he's still doing that.

"He's still got that killer instinct, he's still got that will to win and he's a horse that in the past has produced something special in the big event.

"I think he's on a similar path and he's a horse that can do the unimaginable so you can never write him off."

Chautauqua is a $6 chance on Saturday but don't expect an easy ride.

Watch the grey flash produce an extraordinary win in the 2017 T.J Smith Stakes.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 5
Here is the full list of 36 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
New Winner for Bivouac
Godolphin have been  enjoying a winning run with their late season juveniles and it continued at Geelong on Thursday where Bivouac gelding Loving opened his account.
Breeding To Win - 2025 G1 Queensland Oaks
Unbeaten this preparation, Philia will be looking to emulate her half-sister Duais in winning the $1million Group I BRC Queensland Oaks (2200m) on Saturday, but a swarm of up and comers are nipping at her heels, so who are they?
SWs in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel headline the June (Early) Online Sale
Stakes winners in foal to Wootton Bassett and Snitzel, along with a significant number of young, well-bred racing and breeding prospects headline another intriguing catalogue for the Inglis Digital June (Early) Online Sale.
Inglis Ready 2 Race Entries Open
Entries for the Inglis Ready2Race Sale – Australasia’s most progressive 2YO Sale – are now open.
A Passion That Lasts a Lifetime
A passion for pedigrees and thoroughbreds is often one that lasts a lifetime and so it has been for one of the co-breeders of Bravery, who contacted me this week following our earlier and very well read story on current 2YO star Cool Archie.
North Pacific 2YO Ready to Win
Byerley Park trainer Steven Cole will head to Ellerslie with a quartet of runners on Saturday, and he is particularly upbeat about the chances of Pacific Breeze in the Network Visuals 1200.
Sires With Winners - Friday June 6
Here is the full list of 31 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Another Day, Another Stakes-Winner for Wootton Bassett
A homebred for Marc Chan, quality Wootton Bassett (GB) colt Green Impact closed out his juvenile season winning the Group II Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown and he bounced back into the winner’s list at the same venue overnight.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday that featured some interesting winners including stakes-placed filly Horseshoe Hill, a couple of unraced youngsters by Zoustar and the highest priced yearling by Prague.