Coolmore’s former dual Champion Australian Sire Encosta De Lago (Fairy King-Shoal Creek, by Star Way) celebrated an elite Gr1 success when 5YO gelding Chautauqua (Encosta de Lago-Lovely Jubly, by Lion Hunter) scored a stunning 0.1-length win for trainers John Wayne and Michael Hawkes in the $750,000 Gr1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in Melbourne on Saturday.
He beat 6YO gelding Terravista (Captain Rio-Parfore, by Gold Brose) & 3YO gelding Japonisme (Choisir-Haiku, by Encosta de Lago).
Chautauqua showed why he is widely regarded as the premier sprinter in the country with this devastating performance.
He took his record to 10 wins (including the Gr1 Manikato Stakes, Gr1 TJ Smith Stakes, Gr2 Gilgai Stakes, Gr2 Rubiton Stakes, Gr2 Gilgai Stakes, Gr3 McEwen Stakes, Gr3 Bobbie Lewis Handicap & Gr3 Hawkesbury Guineas) and 7 placings (including the Gr1 Newmarket Handicap, Gr1 Darley Classic & Listed Gosford Guineas) from 19 starts for $3,883,750 earnings.
“He’s bigger and stronger than what he’s ever been,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes told Racing.com.
“I reckon the thing that was a bit freaky was the last 200 metres; how he ran those horses down.”
He added: “To mow those super horses down, that was one hell of an effort.”
Bred by the Throsby family, who raced his dam Lovely Jubly, Chautauqua was passed in for $300,000 at the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and was retained to race by his breeders in partnership with prominent owner Rupert Legh, whose blue and gold lightning bolt silks Chautauqua carried to victory.
Chautauqua is the second stakes winner from Gr1 QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes & Gr1 QTC TJ Smith Classic winner Lovely Jubly, who has also produced Gr3 SAJC Breeders’ Stakes winning filly London Lol.
www.breeding & racing.com
