Chautauqua to wait until home track trial to ensure racing ban lifted
Team Hawkes will opt to wait until Thursday to barrier trial Chautauqua on home turf at Rosehill to give the champion sprinter the best chance to lift his racing ban.
The three-time TJ Smith winner must complete the course after twice refusing to leave the gates in Randwick barrier trials last Monday. Stewards put a racing bar on the sprinter until he trialled satisfactorily after the bizarre incident.
No go: Chautauqua refuses to jump in a barrier trial at Randwick last week.
Photo: Amanda WoodCo-trainer Michael Hawkes is still at a loss to explain Chautauqua’s unwillingness to leave the barriers.
“He is a quirky horse, always has been, that is what makes Chautauqua, Chautauqua,” Hawkes said.
“We have done some work with him (at the barriers) since, and we just feel that we should wait until Thursday.
“Until he has that barrier trial, we can’t really plan much.”
The Thursday trial would count out a start in Saturday’s Canterbury Stakes - with the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley on March 23 a likely lead-up to a crack at a fourth TJ Smith during The Championships.
Owner Rupert Legh labelled the picture of Chautauqua staying in the barrier as “the best photo you'll ever see,” on Melbourne radio on Sunday.
"He's such a peculiar animal, if you change things for him, he loses it - he gets pretty cranky, he's got a mind of his own,” Legh said.
Meanwhile Hawkes is looking forward to taking Golden Slipper second favourite Estijaab back to the races for the Reisling Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
She was run down by Sunlight in the final 100m after doing a lot of work early at the Silver Slipper and must run well at Randwick to secure a place in the Golden Slipper.
“She's good and everyone has seen what she can do and hopefully she will show that on Saturday,” Hawkes said.
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