By Michael Lynch
Age might not weary him, but it could well have blunted his finishing kick.
Champion sprinter Chautauqua has proved himself a warrior over short courses these past few years, with huge wins in Australia and Hong Kong where he has beaten some of the world's fastest horses.
Chautauqua finishes third in the Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield, with Dwayne Dunn aboard.Credit: Getty Images
But the jury was out on whether the gallant grey, now a six-year-old, might not need to be stepped up in distance after his return to action after a near four-month lay off at Caulfield on Saturday.
The old warrior, partnered by regular rider Dwayne Dunn, was doing his best work in the final stages of the Rubiton Stakes, a group 2 contest run over the sharp Caulfield 1100 metres.
The son of Encosta De Lago ran third, beaten a total of two lengths by the long-shot winner Super Cash ($18) with the three-year-old filly I Am A Star snaring second spot.
Greg Miles, the veteran racecaller, declared that this was not the Chautauqua of old as the Team Hawkes trained gelding finished late down the middle of the track.
Owner Rupert Legh, who has enjoyed so many marvellous moments with his champion galloper, certainly did not agree.
He declared himself happy with his champion's return to action although he did concede that with age he was not at his best first up and conceded that a step up to 1400 metres or even further might see him to best advantage nowadays.
"I thought it was a great run back from where he was. I thought his last 200 he was absolutely smashing the line," said Legh.
"I don't need to tell you as they get older he will want more ground. I thought his run was full of merit, he is still a bit chubby. If you watch his last 200 he was taking ground off them
"It's been a leader's track all day ... I have not walked away disappointed at all."
Chautauqua is now likely to re-appear next month in the group 1 Newmarket Handicap over 1200 metres down the Flemington straight, but Legh says his target in Sydney's The Championships is still a matter for debate.
"At the end of the day you might finish up in the All Aged Stakes in the autumn, the 1400 is obviously an ideal distance for him.
"He will be probably heading for the 1200 and that will tell us more where we are going.
"If someone said that wasn't a good run they are watching a different horse. I thought it was a ripper run. Hellbent was on his tail, and in the last 200 he was leaving Hellbent behind and he has got a good turn of foot."
His rider, Dwayne Dunn, said: "Everything worked out perfect in the run. I know we're talking small field so they weren't going to really sizzle. But he settled down good, he came into the corner well but I just couldn't hit top gear until I really hit the wire.
"He seems to be going more like a 1400-metre-miler at the moment. So I'd suggest he'll run down the straight and then off to Sydney."
The attention on Chautauqua rather took the gloss off a terrific performance by Super Cash, who became the first mare to win the Rubiton Stakes in its 28-year history.
The daughter of Written Tycoon was partnered by Katelyn Mallyon, who also won the race a year earlier on the filly Heatherly.
Andrew Noblett, Super Cash's trainer, said the four-year-old would now also head to the Newmarket.
"I thought I was a genuine place chance, I was worried about the depth of this race, it was a hard race but we had planned it a fair way out. She was super, she began really well.
"Sometimes she misses the kick, but today she began really well, it puts us in the box seat and she ran home.
"She will get a run in the Newmarket now. She had no luck in the spring, to come back in the autumn and do that first up in a really hot race is great."