Racing Victoria (RV), in conjunction with the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC), has today announced the programming of an official trial at The Valley this Friday night, 28 September to accommodate champion sprinter Chautauqua’s bid to return to racing.
The trial will take place between Races 4 and 5 at 8.20pm (AET) and feature alongside the Group 1 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) on what doubles as the launch of Victoria’s 2018-19 night racing season and the MVRC’s popular AFL Grand Final eve meeting.
To accommodate the trial, which will be conducted as an open trial over 1000 metres with a maximum of seven runners, there will be a 45-minute gap between Races 4 and 5, with the standard 30-minute gap to apply between all other races.
Nominations for the trial open with Racing Australia at 10am (AET) today and will close in three hours’ time at 1pm (AET). Should more than seven nominations be received then the seven highest-rated horses will make up the field.
If the Hawkes Racing-trained Chautauqua passes Friday night’s official trial to the satisfaction of RV Stewards then the gelding will be cleared to nominate and accept for Victorian races.
With early nominations closing tomorrow for the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m, The Valley, 26 October) and Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m, Flemington, 10 November), RV Stewards also advise that they have permitted Chautauqua to be nominated for both $1 million races. His ability to accept for either will be subject to him gaining a clearance to race once again.