Sweeney with lofty autumn targets for Chattahoochee

[Wandering Eyes]

Chattahoochee winning at Hastings on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

In the stables of trainer Debbie Sweeney, the grey gelding Chattahoochee has solidified his position as a favourite, emerging as the stable’s star performer.

Sweeney expressed her delight after Chattahoochee secured his fourth victory in his last five races at Hastings on Saturday.

Despite the challenges posed by drawing barrier 12 and maintaining a three-wide position throughout the race, Chattahoochee’s performance was commendable.

Sweeney, who holds a special fondness for the horse, described him as the stable pet—a lovely, quiet, and relaxed individual who has captured the affection of everyone around.

Reflecting on Chattahoochee’s recent success, Sweeney highlighted his adaptability and evident ability, expressing optimism about his future performances.

The five-year-old will now enjoy a well-deserved break before gearing up for ambitious targets in the upcoming autumn season.

“We are going to turn him out for four to six weeks now and then get him back up and going around early March,” Sweeney stated.

“We’ll possibly look at the Easter Handicap (Group 3, 1600m) and there are some nice races over the Carnival at Ellerslie, so we will try and target some bigger races.”

Looking ahead to the current racing week, Sweeney has directed her attention to her other runners.

“I have got a couple at Tauranga on Wednesday – Kiwi Man and Mr Nice.”

Kiwi Man, a staying horse, displayed promise in the past year and is set to compete over a mile. Sweeney sees potential in him, especially as he tackles longer distances.

“Clever Ruds is lining up on Saturday (at Te Rapa),” Sweeney added.

“She is very honest and tries really hard. She ran second last time at Hastings. Hopefully, we can get some black-type with her this time around. She has shown enough.”

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