MY CALL - CHAUTAUQUA IS THE WORLD'S BEST SPRINTER

By David Fowler | Tuesday, April 7, 2015

David Fowler is the principal thoroughbred caller for Radio TAB. David, who is a keen form student and punter, has enjoyed a lifetime involvement in the racing media. His personal blog, ‘My Call’, appears exclusively on HRO.

The Saturday postponement and the biased track took some shine off the Championships but one point was agreed by all.

Chautauqua delivered an astonishing performance to win the T. J. Smith and is the world's best sprinter.

Lankan Rupee has fumbled the crown more than once. Terravista had a brief flirtation with it. Chautauqua has now snatched it and thoroughly deserves it.

It was clearly apparent that after the sodden Saturday, Randwick had begun to dry after fine weather on Sunday and Monday morning but on pace bias hung like the Sword of Damocles.

It shone like a beacon because even in fast run races the backmarkers still couldn't make a decent impression.

Understandably, even Chautauqua's most ardent fans were less than enthused knowing his pattern is to settle back and zoom.

Many Championship aspirants were ridden out of their comfort zone to suit the play of the day but Tommy Berry and Team Hawkes stood firm and no plan B was installed.

As I outlined earlier, to defy such a distinct bias and pick off one after the other of that calibre was astonishing.

Let's hope he gets the chance to be seen on the world stage.

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I'm never comfortable with calling people "lucky"

It's a cheap line that often ignores the planning going into making things successful.

Enter Neville Morgan.

It's dismissive to nominate Nev as a lucky man or a man with the Midas touch.

He is a planner and a thinker and the results are there for all to see.

Already with the 2010 trophy on the shelf, courtesy or Rangirangdoo, he now looks forward to may be his most exciting chapter in racing with Kermadec.

Dynamic in the Doncaster, he is a colt with only eight runs on the board!

Best thing about Nev is that would have been just as happy sharing a schooner in the public bar at Doomben as quaffing a post race champers in the hallowed cloisters of the ATC committee room.

Well done!

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My ham sandwich didn't taste as good as I thought it might when they broke from the gates in race five.

Miss Cover Girl coasting in front! Was I seeing right? It was all over.

Obviously Kelly Schweida and Glen Boss hatched a plan to race more forward after the obvious on-pace bias had been demonstrated in the first four races.

She's developing a versatile CV. Back or forward, wet or dry, it's now seven from 11.

And worth remembering Michael Cahill's passing comment in February that she was potential "Stradbroke material".

And with Rudy's determined Doncaster fourth, Queensland could feel well satisfied on a day with very light representation.

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My Ambassador Travel party enjoyed the visit to Gai Waterhouse's Tulloch Lodge on Sunday morning.

The stables are steeped in tradition and it's the venue where Gai welcomes clients and visitors each weekend for a parade of horses and general chit chat.

"Dad said do it this way otherwise they'll be there morning, noon and night seven days a week," Gai told me.

Seeing her rapport with all walks of life first hand is an experience in itself.

There's no BS. It's all genuine.

My merry band said they couldn't have spent a better two hours.

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