T J Smith Stakes winner Chautauqua is among a quality list of nominations for the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
T J Smith Stakes winner Chautauqua,above, is among the nominations for the All Aged Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Chautauqua is one of ten Group 1 winners among the eighteen sprinters nominated for the feature weight for age race on the final day of the Sydney Autumn Carnival, the others being Dissident, Famous Seamus, Laser Hawk, Lucky Hussler, Moriarty, Rebel Dane, Shooting To Win, Terravista and Wandjina.
Co-trainer Michael Hawkes said that Chautauqua would wrap up his Autumn Carnival campaign this weekend then have a break before preparing for the Spring Carnival and a possible trip to Hong Kong in December.
The Encosta De Lago four year old has pulled up in fine order after winning the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 6, the first day of ‘The Championships’.
“We’ll probably pull the pin after Saturday and get him ready for the spring and probably Hong Kong at the end of the year,” Hawkes told RSN’s Racing Ahead.
“He has continued to please us, it’s going to be a cracking race on Saturday and we’re looking forward to it.”
Hawkes has no worries about Chautauqua stepping up to the 1400m in top class company on Saturday after he came from last on the home turn on a soft 7 track to win the T J Smith Stakes.
“The way the race was run last start he probably ran a genuine 1300m or further so (the 1400) isn’t going to worry us,” Hawkes said.
“He loves winding up in his races albeit at 1400 he might be a touch closer but you’ve just got to have him where he’s happy.
“He did what no horse should have been able to do coming from where he was in the run (in the T.J. Smith) against the bias and everything like that and it just proved how good of a horse he really is.”
Terravista is also backing up after running third in the T J Smith Stakes as is Fontelina (4th), Fast ‘N’ Rocking (6th) and Famous Seamus (7th).
The Peter Moody trained Dissident will be resuming from a short break following treatment to a minor infection which was discovered after he ran third to Suavito in the Group 1 $400,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 28.
“We just tipped him out for a week to freshen him up,” Henry Field from Newgate Farm told The Thoroughbred.
“Obviously he came out of the Futurity and he just needed a little bit of treatment, he didn’t scope well with muscus, so we’ll target him towards the Sydney Carnival.”
“He seems to be great and he seems to be bouncing around now and he’s back on track. It just put a spanner in the works as far as getting him to the Ryder, which was his initial target after Melbourne.”
Trainer Paul Messara scratched his smart three year old Scissor Kick from the Group 2 $500,000 Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (1200m) at Randwick last Sarurday to take on the older horses at weight for age this weekend.
Scissor Kick scored first up this campaign in the Group 3 $150,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 7 before finishing fifth to Hallowed Crown in the Group 2 $200,000 Blackwoods CRC Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 21.
Other three year olds nominated for the All Ages Stakes are Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win and Australian Guineas winner Wandjina.
Sydney premier trainer Chris Waller has entered three for the weight for age contest, Bull Point, Moriarty and Weary.
Trainer Darren Weir has nominated Lucky Hussler after his win in the Group 1 $400,000 Brown Baldwin William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 27 and Rebel Dane will be heading back to Sydney after finishing sixth in the same race.
