Chautauqua Leaves Crowd Stunned with Third TJ Smith Triumph

At this stage of his career it would seem that Chautauqua had few jaw-dropping moments left in him.

How wrong we were. This rarest of sprinters earned his third consecutive $2,500,000 Group I Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday and this may just have been the sweetest of all.

On a day that had been favouring on pace runners, Chautauqua was given a stone cold ride by Tommy Berry.

Tailed off last early, he still spotted English five lengths with 100 metres left to run.  The grey gelding finished so fast he had a short-neck to spare from English to give Coolmore's pensioned Encosta de Lago the quinella in Australia's most valuable open sprint.

The ever-consistent Fell Swoop was one and a quarter length back in third. (photos Steve Hart).

A great favourite with Hawkes Racing, Chautauqua had connections in tears as the large crowd was still coming to terms with the enormity of the win.

"Before the race you thought he couldn't win with the track bias," co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.

"What can we say now. He (John) said to Michael stay near the fence, stay near the fence, cut up the inside, don't come to the outside.

"That was the difference between him winning and losing. Goes alright that bloke on the couch."

Chautauqua finished third at a safe distance behind the champion Winx in the Group I George Ryder Stakes over 1500 metres at his most recent start.

"People have been potting him all week but he's the best sprinter in the world, how could you pot him over this distance," Tommy Berry said.

Winning for the first time since the Group I The Chairman's Sprint Prize at Sha Tin last May, Chautauqua advances his record to 13wins, 7 seconds and 4 thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $8,369,435. 

Bred and part-owned by the Throsby family, Chautauqua was consigned to the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where he failed to make his $400,000 reserve.

A half-brother to Group III winner London Lolly, Chautauqua is the sixth foal of Lion Hunter mare Lovely Jubly a top-class 2yo in 2002 claiming a Group 1 double in the QTC Sires Produce Stakes and TJ Smith Classic in addition to wins in the BTC Champagne Stakes and Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

Lovely Jubly has a 2yo filly by More Than Ready (USA) named Mulberry Walk. Her 2015 foal by All Too Hard was born dead and she foaled a More Than Ready (USA) colt last October.