Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes is over the drama that is Chautauqua.
Not that he’s ungrateful to have had “the grey flash” in the Hawkes Racing stable.
He’s just well and truly over talking about the antics of a champion racehorse who simply decided he did not want to race any more.
“I’m glad it’s over,” Hawkes said.
“I’m done. I’m done. I’m done. I’m done.
“There’s no coming back. I’m done.”
Hawkes Racing tried everything to get Chautauqua to jump out of the barrier, even enlisting an equine behaviourist.
The strong-willed eight-year-old still refused to budge.
It’s just as well there was no barrier jump required for Chautauqua’s last laps at Flemington on Saturday, which were confined to a farewell parade walk around the mounting yard.
Chautauqua’s connections called time on his career last week, after amassing more than $8.8 million in prize money and six Group One wins including three TJ Smith Stakes and the Chairman’s Sprint in Hong Kong.
Jockey Dwayne Dunn, who rode Chautauqua in what turned out to be his last race last November, thought it was a fitting send-off.
“It’s going to be a sad day, just to lose him, because we know how good he is and how good he was.”
Dunn paid tribute to the team behind Chautauqua, after combining with them to guide three-year-old Wild Planet to victory in the listed Antler Luggage Stakes.
After all, Chautauqua was beaten in maidens at his first couple of starts.
“To turn him into an international Group One winner’s a really good feather in their cap,” Dunn said.
Dunn hopes people remember Chautauqua for all he did for racing.
Hawkes, for one, will remember that, as well as all the hard work that came with training the popular sprinter.
“Better to have had him than never had him at all,” Hawkes said.
“As Dwayne Dunn said, if he had of done it at his first race start you never would have seen him.
“We’re lucky to have had him.”
