Last year’s winner Chautauqua is among the nominations for the 2106 Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 2, the First Day of ‘The Championships’.
2015 T J Smith Stakes winner Chautauqua, above, yellow cap, is among the nominations for the 2016 version. Photo by Steve Hart.
Chautauqua was able to run down Lord Of The Sky in the 2015 T J Smith Stakes and is one of four horses from the Team Hawkes stable that are making up the ninety-one nominations for this year’s version of the Group 1 weight for age sprint.
Team Hawkes’ other entries include prolific winner Our Boy Malachi, smart three year old Headwater and the promising Sooboog.
Chautauqau claimed his second Group 1 win when he beat Srikandi in the Group 1 $1m Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival and was then beaten a whisker by the Chris Waller trained Delectation in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington.
Our Boy Malachi has returned to the race track with a win in the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on January 30, taking his winning tally to eighteen from twenty-two starts.
Headwater also showed that he has a good Autumn Carnival ahead with a first up win in the Listed $120,000 Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on the same day.
Cranbourne trainer Robbie Laing has nominated last year’s T J Smith Stakes runner-up Lord Of The Sky who is ready to resume from injury in the Group 1 $500,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 27.
Premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has a quality list of seven nominations, including six Group 1 winners Boban, Delectation, Japonisme, Kermadec, Press Statement and Winx as well as the promising Counterattack.
Cox Plate winner Winx is set to resume on Saturday at Randwick in the Group 2 $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) along with five times Group 1 winner Boban.
Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes winner Exosphere heads the eight horse Godolphin team, prepared by John O’Shea, who are nominated for the T J Smith Stakes.
Their other entries are Furnaces, Generalife, Ghisoni, Holler, Knoydart, Mogador and Ottoman.
Melbourne Cup winning trainer Darren Weir’s four nominations for the T J Smith Stakes include former West Australian trained sprinter Black Heart Bart who has been transferred from Vaughn Sigley’s Perth stable to be prepared the Autumn Carnival.
Weir has also entered his Group 1 winner Lucky Hussler as well the promising Scarlet Billows and Tuscan Sling.
Joe Pride’s four nominations include Group 1 winner Terravista, speedy sprinters Ball Of Muscle and Tiger Tees and last start winner I Am Zelady.
Gai Waterhouse is light on for nominations and has entered three three-year-olds, Group 1 Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly, Golden Slipper Stakes runner-up English and Zizou colt Zoutenant.
The Lindsay Park Team of David Hayes and Tom Dabernig has nominated eight, Afleet Spirit, Churchill Dancer, Fast ‘N’ Rocking, Gregers, Keen Array, Miss Promiscuity, Sheidel and Wawail.
