Chautauqua pleases Hawkes camp in trial

THE Hawkes stable will nominate star sprinter Chautauqua for next Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) but have yet to decide whether he will start.

On Friday Chautauqua narrowly defeated a pair of Chris Waller sprinters in Japonisme and Delectation, who will start in that race, in a 1000m jump-out at Flemington.

In the three-horse trial Chautauqua sat last but grabbed the other pair in the closing stages for a narrow win.

Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said Chautauqua had come back in great fashion and he would let the dust settle before they committed to running him next Saturday.

“He was really good, did everything right. He pulled up big and had a good blow but you’d expect that,” he said on RSN.

Last spring Chautauqua won his first three starts before just failing to defeat Delectation in the Darley Classic.

He said Chautauqua’s grand final this campaign would be the $2.5 million T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 2, a race which he won last year.

Waller was happy with the performance of his pair of gifted sprinters.

TARZINO RETURNS

MICK Price doesn’t believe his Victoria Derby winner Tarzino can get the money first-up in Saturday’s 1400m Autumn Stakes.

“But look to see him closing,” he said.

“A pass mark would be to see him with an interrupted run and run on to the first four or five and have a good hitout, look good and for him to enjoy the day and move on.”

MAHUTA ON SONG

DARREN Weir’s star three-year-old colt Mahuta has returned from his Gold Coast victory in great shape.

“He’s in really good shape. He’s got a great constitution,” Weir said of Mahuta, who is aiming to stretch his winning run to six in the Autumn Stakes at Caulfield.

Weir will look to continue his great country cups record when Rich River runs in the 2000m Colac Cup on Sunday.

BUCHAN ROYALTY

WHILE Taqneen is the product of racing royalty, it’s still hard to believe he’s the headline act at Saturday’s 129th Buchan Cup in Gippsland.

The product of Lonhro and superstar Makybe Diva is now a fixture on the picnic circuit after being sold as a maiden for $5500 in August.

Under his new trainer Mick Bell he’s had four picnic starts for a win at Balnarring on January 26 and two seconds.

The other interest will be Geeceegazza in the Cup and whether his AFL heavyweight owners Gillon McLachlan, Andrew Dillon and Simon Lethlean will be there.

Fellow high-profile owners Craig Hutchison and Liam Pickering will be, for a live broadcast of SEN Saturday morning show Off The Bench.

AUSSIE IN RACE

AUSTRALIAN caller Craig Evans has been short-listed to become the permanent track announcer at the prestigious Santa Anita in California.

He has been the senior broadcaster for the Singapore Turf Club since 2010.

Evans is one of four callers whittled down from the three dozen who applied for the job from around the world.

Melham scores another win for Godolphin

BEN Melham is starting to make a winning habit out of wearing the royal blue.

Ever since the opportunity came knocking to ride for the mighty Godolphin stable and trainer John O’Shea in Melbourne, Melham has opened the door with both hands.

He booted home potential AJC Derby colt Tally at Moonee Valley on Friday night, and is looking at doubling the dosage in the Godolphin colours at Caulfield today.

He labelled Blue Diamond Prelude colt Cohesion and classy import Bow Creek as “very exciting prospects”.

Melham says Bow Creek only has to repeat his first-up run in Australia, a second in the Group 2 Crystal Mile, to make his presence felt in today’s Group 1 Orr Stakes.

“He probably should have beat Turn Me Loose and he went past Lucky Hussler who was nailed to the fence,” Melham said of Bow Creek’s spring debut for O’Shea.

“We’ve drawn two and he can be a bit sticky out of the barriers which is his main concern, so a lot will depend on how much ground he gives away at the start.

“If he does get away ordinary, but musters to get into a good spot, he’s got a great chance.”

Melham believes Cohesion will have taken improvement out of his last-start win in the Blue Diamond Preview and said the colt had proven he could be ridden positively early and then take a sit.

“A lot of two-year-olds on the day, they can fold under that sort of ride, but this one I’m certain won’t,” he said.

“I’m getting a few opportunities with Godolphin, and I’m thankful for it.”

Damian Lane is another jockey looking forward to the Blue Diamond Preludes after winning on Lindsay Park maiden Catch A Fire at Moonee Valley last night.

Lane said Sword Of Light worked well in a track gallop during the week ahead of today’s 1100m fillies race.

“If she has trained on, which I think she has, she’ll definitely prove herself worthy of running in the Diamond, but barrier 13 is not going to be easy,” Lane said.

David Hayes believes his filly Zamzam has been undersold in the betting heading towards the Diamond.

“She reminds me a lot of a young Reemah,” Hayes said.

“She wasn’t rated going into the Diamond and nearly won the race (finishing a head second to Pride of Dubai).

“If Zamzam had started $2.40 last start and won like she did, she would be $2.40 tomorrow.”

- Danny Russell