A Wizard From Oz

Hong Kong has been home to countless world-class turf sprinters in the last decade and a half. Fairy King Prawn (Aus) (Danehill), the legendary Silent Witness (Aus) (El Moxie), Sacred Kingdom (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), Lucky Nine (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) are but a few. In Sunday's Chairman's Sprint Prize– upgraded to Group 1 status and strategically repositioned on the local calendar to fill a void created by the cancellation of the G1 KrisFlyer Intenational Sprint in Singapore–Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) was attempting to become the first Australian-based horse to win a top-level race in Hong Kong. And it took a little more than 68 spectacular seconds for him to join those listed above as one of the greatest short-trackers to ever grace the Sha Tin turf.

Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
CHAIRMAN'S SPRINT PRIZE-G1, HK$10,000,000 (£884,868/€1,137,489/A$1,692,636/US$1,288,974), 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.69, gd.
1–CHAUTAUQUA (AUS), 126, g, 5, by Encosta de Lago (Aus)
1st Dam: Lovely Jubly (MG1SW-Aus, A$1,468,500), by Lion Hunter
2nd Dam: Jaboulet (NZ), by Vice Regal (NZ)
3rd Dam: Avadell (NZ), by In the Purple (FR)
(A$300,000 RNA yrl '12 INGEAS) O-R & C Legh Racing (Mgrs: R & Mrs C Legh), G P I Racing (Mgr: G Ingham), Gurners Bloodstock (Mgr: M A Ramsden), G Pulitano, S W Kay, Ms M A Keating, Wright Racing (Mgrs: P & R Wright); B-Woodbury Pty Ltd (NSW); T-M, W & J Hawkes; J-Tommy Berry; HK$5,700,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Aus, 22-12-6-2, HK$41,756,400. *1/2 to London Lolly (Aus) (Charge Forward {Aus}), GSW-Aus, A$185,335. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
2–Lucky Bubbles (Aus), 126, g, 4, Sebring (Aus)–Bubble Below (Aus), by Hussonet. (A$90,000 Ylg '13 INGMEL). O-Lucky Syndicate; B-Gilgai Farm (Vic); T-Francis Lui; J-Brett Prebble; HK$2,200,000.
3–Strathmore (Aus), 126, g, 4, Fastnet Rock (Aus)–Our Egyptian Raine (NZ), by Desert Sun (GB). (A$280,000 RNA Ylg '13 INGEAS). O-Mr & Mrs Iain Bruce; B-Cressfield (NSW); T-Tony Millard; J-Neil Callan; HK$1,000,000.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 9-5, 16-5, 217-1.
Also Ran: Gold-Fun (Ire), Amazing Kids (NZ), Not Listenin'tome (Aus), Divine Boy (Aus), Aerovelocity (NZ), Mongolian Saturday, Thewizardofoz (Aus), Charles the Great (Ire), Super Jockey (NZ), Peniaphobia (Ire), Buffering (Aus).
Click for the HKJC.com chart, PPs and VIDEO. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

Twice Group 1-placed at home theretofore, it was some 55 weeks ago that Chautauqua broke through at the top level, carrying Tommy Berry to a narrow success in the T J Smith S. at The Championships. The popular gray went three-for-four in his next preparation, including a smashing two-length success in the G1 Manikato S. at Moonee Valley, and was spelled off a tough runner-up effort to Delectation (Aus) (Shamardal) in the G1 Darley Classic up the Flemington straight in November.

Chautauqua was penciled in for a trip to Hong Kong for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, but was ruled out when his trainers felt he was not 100%, and he resumed with a deep-closing triumph in the G1 Lightning S. at Flemington Feb. 20. He was giving The Quarterback (Aus) (Street Boss) some 13 pounds when a close third in the G1 Lexus Newmarket H. Mar. 12 and was exiting a successful defence of his title in the T J Apr. 2, a race in which he appeared hopelessly beaten in the straight, only to power past his stunned rivals. That would be a harbinger of things to come.

Re-shod on his off-hind twice prior to the start of the Chairman's, Chautauqua was tardily into stride and gave some fast and classy rivals a bit of a head start. Peniaphobia (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), the reigning Hong Kong Sprint champ, was one of the first to show, but he had all sorts of company in the form of GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero Mongolian Saturday (Any Given Saturday) and Buffering (Aus) (Mossman {Aus}), last-out winner of the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai, to his inside. Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins {Aus}) had no choice but to chime in from his widest draw and they threw down an opening section of :23.34, well inside the par time, as Chautauqua found himself in a double-digit hole rounding the turn.

It was Aerovelocity who looked to be doing the best of anything as they left the home turn behind, as he cruised up to Peniaphobia, but may have brushed, perhaps costing him both focus and momentum. Meanwhile, further back in the pack, Chautauqua had caught up to the field, but was flushed wide into the lane by Divine Boy (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), and it was up to horse and jockey to pull the rabbit out of the hat one more time. Strathmore (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), better than 200-1 on the tote, poked through three away from the fence to lead with 170m to race, but was soon overhauled by Lucky Bubbles (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}), the rising star the punting public had backed into second favoritism. But just as he had done last time in Sydney, Berry rode Chautauqua with a world of confidence–out of camera view for a time–and they raced over the top of the field for another improbable victory. Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie Dei Colori {GB}) gave another honest account of himself, while Amazing Kids (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) was stalled inside of Mongolian Saturday at a crucial stage, then flew home to be a deceptively good fifth.

“I wasn't worried that we were so far back given the speed, but I was concerned that he came off the bit earlier than he usually does,” said Berry, adding to his big-race grab in Hong Kong. “But he overcame that because he's a very special horse. At the 250 [metres], I took a deep breath. I was within striking distance of the leaders and I didn't want to be too anxious. I just let him go through his gears and you saw what he can do,” he said.

Among those wowed by the winner was Lucky Bubbles's rider Brett Prebble.

“Who brought that rocket here?” said Prebble of the winner. “I gave my horse a peach of a ride and one still sailed past him. Lucky Bubbles ran so well and he's going to keep getting better you'd think.”

Having now won two legs of the Global Sprint Challenge, Chautauqua and his connections are eligible for a US$1-million bonus if able to add a third in a different jurisdiction. That could come as soon as Royal Ascot.

“We have to decide UK or home by the morning,” Michael Hawkes explained. “If he does go, he's booked to fly Wednesday night and will go straight to Mike de Kock's Abington Place [stables] in Newmarket,” Hawkes said.

Lovely Jubly, who Prebble rode to a victory in the 2002 G1 Sires' Produce S. at Eagle Farm, is the dam of a yearling filly by More Than Ready named Mulberry Walk (Aus) and was covered by that Vinery shuttler last November.