Chautauqua dazzles Randwick with third-straight T.J. Smith Stakes

Chautauqua
It was a win that stunned the Randwick crowd as Chautauqua came from an improbable position to win the T.J. Smith Stakes

A simply stunning sprint from Chautauqua wowed the Randwick crowd as the popular grey took out the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes in amazing fashion.

There were doubters that Chautauqua had lost its turn-of-foot and we admit we had some worries, but those were put to bed on Saturday afternoon when the champion sprinter came from nowhere to unleash an almighty finish in the sprinting feature of The Championships.

Chautauqua, a six-year-old gelding which had won over $7 million coming into the race, wasn’t paying its usual odds-on price – instead bookmakers offered $6.50 for the mighty grey which produced the greatest moment on turf this carnival.

It entered the race with suspect form, but its connections never doubted their star as it looked to win three consecutive T.J. Smith Stakes – and win it did, downing English over the final 50m.

Winning jockey Tommy Berry let out a “wooo!” following the race and he was quick to put the doubters in their place.

“He’s incredible isn’t he? I said to the doubters the whole way along, don’t worry about it, the Hawkes Team train him,” Berry said. They are freaks at what they do.

“I came up underneath them as I couldn’t come around them and win. Gee, once he got through he was so good.

“I’ve just got to thank the Hawkes Team.”

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Berry admits trying to run Chautauqua over more ground might have been a mistake, but it’s clear it’s the best sprinter in the land.

“We decided to plan our run to head towards the Doncaster, but he didn’t run it,” Berry said.

“He got beaten by the best horse in the world but that is why he is the best sprinter in the world.”

Chautauqua was able to defy the track bias by coming from the tail of the field, something that would have pleased co-trainer John Hawkes who was unable to attend the meeting.

“Before the race you thought he couldn’t win with the track bias, what can we say now,” Wayne Hawkes said.

“There is a pretty special bloke sitting at home on the couch. That was more about him than what you would actually know.”

Hawkes didn’t have any doubts in the sprinter and any form behind Winx has been described as good form this carnival.

“He probably should have won here two starts ago. The 1500m I was one who pushed hard to run him against Winx,” Hawkes said.

“She was just too good on the day. 1500m is not his go. That bloke on the couch yet again gets it right too often.

“The horse has been fantastic. He was cool as a cucumber.

“He’s a rockstar and owns the 1200m at Randwick.”

Winning owners Peter Adams and Steve Kay were understandably thrilled with the performance which created T.J. Smith Stakes history.

“The heart was thumping, we knew he had to go wide, he went wide and we still wondered whether he would get there.

“This is history today, three in a row and what a win it was, it was remarkable, right out of the box.

“Everyone is just elated,” they said.

English looked to have the race won at the 200m mark, but Chautauqua came hard, much to jockey Blake Shinn’s disappointment.

“Great run. You can never go the early crow when Chautauqua is in the race,” Shinn said.

“I wasn’t going to do that today but I really felt all over a winner, all bar the post. Then out of nowhere the big grey came and got me.

“It was a terrific effort from my mare.”

Fell Swoop did well to hold on for third with Joao Moreira in the saddle.

“Extremely good run. Unfortunately I had a horse take me on,” Moreira said.

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