Chautauqua in first look at Sha Tin track

Chautauqua has set foot on foreign soil for the first time, getting acquainted with Sha Tin racecourse ahead of his Group One assignment in Hong Kong.

The world’s highest-ranked sprinter runs in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize on Sunday week to reinforce his standing at the top of the ratings.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes, who accompanied Chautauqua to Hong Kong on Monday, said the five-year-old had lost a little weight during the trip but was bright and well.

“He lost a little weight on the flight over but I’m not too worried about that,” Hawkes said.

“He was quite bright when he got off the plane and I’m sure he’ll pick up over the next two or three days.

“The main thing is that we are here.

Sportsbet Australia

“We wanted to come last December but he just wasn’t 100 per cent then. He’s in great shape now and the important thing now is to get him to relax and acclimatised in the new environment.”

Fellow Australian Buffering has been in Hong Kong a little longer, travelling from Dubai where he won last month’s Al Quoz Sprint.

His trainer Robert Heathcote arrived in Hong Kong on Tuesday night and was on hand to see the veteran sprinter work the following morning.

“It’s just a case of keeping him ticking over now,” Heathcote said.

“It’s a terrific race next week.

“There’s no doubt that Chautauqua is the number one sprinter in the world at the moment but my bloke’s probably number one for longevity and he has nothing to prove.”

Related Posts

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments