Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour Chautauqua with race named after champion sprinter

The Moonee Valley Racing Club will honour champion sprinter Chautauqua with a race to be named in his honour this spring.

Tommy Berry rides Chautauqua to victory in the 2015 Manikato Stakes at The Valley. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

Moonee Valley Racing Club is poised to honour ‘Grey Flash’ Chautauqua, renaming the Listed Chandler McLeod Stakes after the champion sprinter.

The rebadged 1200m event on Cox Plate Qualifier Feehan Stakes Day this Saturday will be known as Chautauqua Stakes.

Former owner Rupert Legh and trainers Team Hawkes accepted The Valley’s offer to recognise 2015 Group 1 Manikato Stakes winner Chautauqua.

The six-time Group 1 winner, including three-straight TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney and an unbelievable Hong Kong triumph, banked $9m in prizemoney winning 13 of 32 career starts, including 11 placings.

Chautauqua attracted a legion of fans, with an indomitable style to settle near last in races and launch at the end, but notoriety surged in 2018 when he repeatedly refused to jump from the barriers.

Multiple attempts over seven months and at different venues failed to fix the bewildering quirk.

Desperate to help Chautauqua get a clearance to race again The Valley staged a barrier trial specifically for the champion sprinter between races on September 28, 2018.

Despite the urging of Tommy Berry, who flew down from Sydney for the trial, Chautauqua refused to budge when the gates opened.

Retired speed machine Chautauqua has been rehomed and retrained for a career in the show ring.

Originally published as Moonee Valley Racing Club to honour Chautauqua with race named after champion sprinter