Dual Group 1 winner Chautauqua is among the fifteen nominations for the Group 1 $750,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Chautauqua, above, is among the nominations for the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Last week co-trainer Wayne Hawkes was uncertain if Chautauqua would take his place in the 1000m scamper down the Flemington straight after the grey had a good blow after an 800m jump out there last Friday, but his chances of starting are looking good.
“He was good. He did everything right,” Hawkes said,
“Pulled up big and had a big blow, but you would expect that,”
“It depends how he pulls up if he runs in the Lightning next Saturday or not.”
Chautauqua was the winner of the 2015 Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick during last year’s Sydney Autumn Carnival and then went on to win the Group 1 $1m Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley during the Melbourne Spring Carnival.
The Hawkes Team of John, Michael and Wayne have also nominated three year old Headwater who resumed from a break for a first up win in the Listed $120,000 Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on January 30.
Sydney’s premiership winning trainer Chris Waller has entered three sprinters for the Black Caviar Lightning, Flemington Group 1 winner’s Delectation and Japonisme as well as Counterattack.
Three year old Japonisme scored an upset win in the Group 1 $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 31 while Delectation racked up another Group 1 win for Waller with a narrow victory over Chautautqua in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington seven days later.
John O’Shea’s only nomination in the Black Caviar Lightning is striking three year old Exosphere, the winner of the 2015 Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill.
Exosphere will be having his first race start since being beaten as favourite when fourth to Japonisme in the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride has entered his stables’ two top sprinters, Terravista and Ball Of Muscle, both resuming from a spell.
Terravista hasn’t been to the races since running third to Delectation and Chautauqua in the Darley Classic while Ball Of Muscle was last seen running third to Lumosty in the Group 2 $200,000 Dilmah Single Origin Teas Caulfield Sprint (1000m) at Caulfield on October 17 during last year’s Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Black Caviar Lightning nominations: Ball Of Muscle, Brockhoff, Chautauqua, Counterattack, Delectation, Eclair Choice, Exosphere, Headwater, Japonisme, Keen Array, Kinglike, Sweet Emily, Terravista, Va Pensiero, Vezalay.
