Chautauqua produced a once in a lifetime performance in the Grade 1 Chairman's Sprint Prize when the Australian galloper shocked all and sundry with a last to first win at Sha Tin.
The strong favourite for the event, the grey worked well all week and had made many fans in Hong Kong prior to the event with his looks and movements at track but it was his raceday performance that was the piece of work that cemented his position as the world's best sprinter.
Beating likely the best sprint field this year, Chautauqua almost got left on the stalls and was well back at the start; by plan or design, it worked. The pace was on as the sprint stars dashed over the 1200m course. The winner was still at the back into the straight and worked his way to the outside of the track to motor home in a first Australian Group 1 win in Hong Kong.
Lucky Bubbles was the Hong Kong hope and he finished an excellent second. Tony Millard's Strathmore was third whilst Gold-Fun was third.
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