Chautauqua's refusal to jump at Rosehill on Monday morning is akin to a cheating ex-partner.

Whatever happens from here, he simply can't be trusted.

Comparing the antics of a horse to that of a spouse who has done the dirty behind your back may seem a little dramatic, but think about.

Deep down you love him. We all love the big grey.

You love Chautauqua for his brilliance on the track.

You love his ability to perform miracles, and with regular frequency.

Think his last-stride win in the Lightning Stakes down the straight at Flemington or the remarkable victory in the Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong.

And then there is the third of his T.J. Smith Stakes in Sydney. How did he do that? How?

But like the cheating ex, as hard as it may be, sometimes you've got to look beyond the good times and become realistic.

Yes, he looks great. He is striking. His muscles are rippling, he has dapples upon dapples.

He is saying all the right things. All the signals are there. You know how warm and fuzzy he can make you feel.

But from this point forward, he can't be trusted. How can he?

At Flemington a fortnight ago, it was like his barrier issues didn't even exist.

Tommy Berry was flown out from Hong Kong. Chautauqua pranced to the gates, he went in and jumped.

He was back.

Problem? What problem?

His troubles with the barriers looked confined to last preparation. He was just in a bad mood then, now he was supposed to be fine. We hoped.

But on his first appearance back at the trials at Rosehill, he showed how unpredictable he has become.

And this unpredictability is what is so concerning.

Chautauqua's embargo now requires him to trial again and come out of the gates successfully on two occasions before he is allowed to race again.

That is if connections want to pursue this avenue, which seems to be the case judging by comments made by part-owner Rupert Legh immediately after the trial.

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes, who was on track at Rosehill, didn't want to make comment in the heat of the moment, and that is fully understandable.

There is a big team involved here and they want to make the right decision.

They want to make the right decision concerning a horse who has won $8.8 million in prizemoney.

A horse who is on the cusp of turning eight.

A horse who doesn't have anything else to prove.

But let's just say the decision is made to press on and Chautauqua trials again and jumps next time. One down, one to go.

He goes to the trials again after that and again he jumps cleanly with the field. Bingo, he is allowed to race.

But could anyone be truly confident he won't dig his toes in again?

The thought of him re-offending would surely be in the minds of all concerned.

Imagine he gets to The Everest. A race worth $13m. And a race that is attracting significant wagering turnover.

Given his popularity, Chautauqua doesn't just carry the expectation of his ownership group and the Hawkes family. He is also carrying a significant amount of money from people betting on the race. The richest turf race in the world.

And people betting on racing is what funds the sport. Without the punter, there is no racing.

Therefore, it is the role of the stewards to ensure the punter is protected.

Stewards must ensure there is confidence in the sport so that people continue to invest.

And of course, anytime someone has a bet, there is risk involved.

Buyer beware, enter at your own risk.

Horses miss the start often. Horses refuse to jump. Incidents happen. Racing is volatile. That is the beauty of it.

But there is a difference between policing the unpredictable nature of animals and humans in sport and allowing a known and repeat-offender to continue to compete in the hope they don't re-offend.

John Hawkes is regarded as one of the most astute thoroughbred trainers in Australia.

His experience and expertise can't be questioned. But even he must be struggling to understand what is causing Chautauqua to not want to jump.

I don't envy those who have to make the call on what is next for the champion sprinter.

The pressure would be immense.

But whatever decision is made, there is one thing I'm certain about, from now on, just like a cheating partner, Chautauqua can't be trusted.

Racing.com