Chautauqua stands in the barriers again, Berry left stranded

July 23, 2018

Chautauqua stands in the barriers again, Berry left stranded

Jockey Tommy Berry was left stranded in the barriers aboard Chautauqua who refused to jump away with the rest of the field in a Rosehill barrier trial this morning.

Chautauqua, above, stood in the barriers and refused to jump again in a Rosehill barrier trial. Photo by Steve Hart.

Chautauqua, above, stood in the barriers and refused to jump again in a Rosehill barrier trial. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Team Hawkes trained Chautauqua had to leave the barriers cleanly in the star studded 900m trial, which included Winx, to be reinstated for racing after being barred following his refusal to jump from the barriers four times during his 2018 Autumn Carnival preparation.

Chautauqua was ordered by Racing NSW Stewards to perform successfully at two barrier trials before being allowed to race again and his Spring Carninval preparation looked on track when he flew the gates in a Flemington jump out last Friday week.

Berry, who has won five Group 1 races on Chautauqua, has recently returned to Sydney after his contract to ride in Hong Kong came to an end and he was heartbroken that the grey flash failed to jump with the rest of the field.

“I’ve reached the highest of highs on the horse, so (when he didn’t jump) it was heartbreaking,” Berry told Racing.com at the Rosehill trials.

“Going to the barriers he gave me a great feel, he looked in great order and he felt exactly the same as he did when I jumped him out at Flemington.

“But I pretty much knew as soon as we walked in the barriers he wasn’t going to jump, he leaned on the back of the gates there and from what Brenton (Avdulla) and Dwayne (Dunn) had told me in the past, that’s what he has been doing when he hasn’t jumped.

“So unfortunately I pretty much knew what was going to happen before the jump.

“All I can say is that he’s in great shape and looks well but he didn’t want to do it today.”

Part owner Rupert Legh was naturally disappointed to see Chautauqua stay in the starting gates again and not be competitive with the rest of the field but is still hopeful the rising eight year old will mend his ways and fill a slot in the $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 13.

“Tommy basically said that he was a totally different horse walking into the barriers to what he was two weeks ago at Flemington,” Legh told Sky Racing’s Racing HQ.

“In his stalls he is great and jumping around and when he gets out to the barriers he has just learned another little trick.”

“You just have to sit back and re-group and ask yourself the question what is good for everyone, for racing.”

Legh said that he would leave the final decision up to head trainer John Hawkes if Chautauqua perseveres with a Spring Carnival campaign or retires the six times Group 1 winning sprinter.

“You don’t get any better horseman than John Hawkes and you don’t get anyone who looks after his horses better that John Hawkes,” Legh said.

“At the end of the day John will make the right decision. He will make the call and if he thinks it is time (to retire Chautauqua, he will make that call.

“We will let John make the decision, but it won’t be made today and it is more likely that we will go back to the trials and try again and hopefully the horse jumps and we see the beat of Chautauqua again.”

Chautauqua’s ban from the race track is now likely to be extended by the Racing NSW Stewards and Legh said the Team will follow what instructions are handed down.

“We will do what the stewards want us to do and if they want us to trial twice we will do it,” Legh said.

Chautauqua is the winner of thirteen of his thirty-two race starts with six wins at Group 1 level and has earned a tick over $8.8 million in prizemoney

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