Japan’s loss is Australia’s gain with champion sprinter Chautauqua to race in Melbourne during the spring.
Tough Australian quarantine laws have made a trip to Japan for the Sprinters Stakes in October too difficult for the Hawkes Racing-trained sprinter, despite the lure of a $US1 million bonus for winning legs of the Global Sprint Series in three different countries.
Instead, Chautauqua will begin his spring campaign in the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley, then go to the Manikato Stakes and Darley Classic before the International Sprint in Hong Kong in December.
Managing owner Rupert Legh and John Hawkes spent considerable time weighing up the pros and cons of a Japan trip.
“It’s been a very agonising three to four weeks,” Legh told Melbourne radio station RSN.
“The Japan Racing Club have done everything possible to entice us over there.
“There’s been a lot of work done from John’s end, particularly with quarantine coming out of Japan, going into Hong Kong and coming back to Australia.
“At the end of the day we’ve decided in the best interests of Chautauqua, Australia is going to see more of Chautauqua than Japan.”
Legh said options discussed included going to Japan for the Sprinters Stakes on October 2 and returning for the Darley Classic, but Chautauqua would require four weeks in quarantine.
Another option was to head to Hong Kong after the Sprinters Stakes. That was ruled out as the champion sprinter would spend more than two months in quarantine.
“At least in Australia we’ve got a bit of open paddock to run around in and be in a box at night but in Hong Kong they’ve got a box, they can have a sand-roll and they’ve got restrictions on working on the tracks,” Legh said.
“When we weighed it all up it’s not just about the spring.
“We don’t want to muck up his autumn as John is desperately keen to have the horse try and win a third TJ Smith which has never been done before.
“Ultimately the decision came down to what is best for the horse, not the owners.”
Legh said Hawkes was keen to return to Hong Kong next year to defend the Chairman’s Sprint Prize before a possible trip to Royal Ascot.
