News

174 seconds that changed our lives

16th Feb 2013

Herald Sun - Greg McFarlane - Saturday, 16 February 2013

TWO minutes and 54 seconds.

It's hardly a blink of an eye or the flash of a shooting star. Yet it's less than the time it takes to run a Melbourne Cup and considerably less than it takes to listen to Goyte's Grammy Award-winning song Somebody That I Used To Know.

But that's all the time it took for the filly who would become Black Caviar to parade in and out of the sales ring at the 2008 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, and for the lives of those associated with her that day and beyond to be changed forever.

Anyone who has played a part in this remarkable equine success story, especially those who were there at Inglis's Oaklands Junction complex on that Tuesday afternoon, March 4, 2008, will never forget their role - however significant or small.

That includes the buyer, the under-bidder, the breeder, the vendor, those who simply happened to be in the auditorium with dreams of chasing a champion on a champagne or beer budget, and even the auctioneer who brought down the gavel on the horse who would captivate a nation and charm Royal Ascot.

From the time the filly's large frame edged through the sliding doors into the sales ring to the time she was led out the other door, it was a total of 174 seconds.

In that time, a spirited bidding duel broke out, ostensibly between her purchaser, trainer Peter Moody, who bought her and syndicated her to a group of very lucky owners, and respected yearling judges Troy Corstens and Peter Carrick.

The shadow boxing started early, with Inglis auctioneer and director Peter Heagney trying to elicit a high first bid by asking: "100? 80? 50? Well, you tell me. I'm just here to add up. You be the judges."

The opening bid came at $30,000. It rose swiftly in $10,000 increments, reaching $100,000 in only 80 seconds. It slowed a little around the $150,000 mark. Then Heagney offered a prophetic line: "Think of the residual value at the end of her racing days, that's after she's won a Group 1 for you."

Almost five years on, she has now won 12 Group 1s in her unblemished 22 starts, with the near certainty of another one today in the race named after her - the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.

Her residual value now is almost priceless.

Moody had the bid at $180,000. He was prepared to go further if he needed to. And he would have to.

Carrick, who was trying to buy the horse outright after he and Corstens had "fallen in love with her", upped the ante by raising it up by $20,000 to an even $200,000. They hoped it would be a knock-out blow.

But if it was meant to intimidate, Moody brushed it off like a blowfly. A nod of the head indicated he was happy to part with $210,000 - and maybe more.

Incredibly, that was three times the reserve price that her breeder Rick Jamieson had placed on the filly leading into the sale and almost 10 times her stallion Bel Esprit's service fee at the time.

Corstens and Carrick decided that was enough, as much as they loved her. Reluctantly, they bowed out as Heagney declared: "Done, all done."

Moody had his horse. As she headed out of the sales ring, the auctioneer was finally informed who had bought the filly.

Heagney said: "Oh, Peter Moody, thank you very much, best of luck with that filly."

But the trainer's luck had already started, with more to come.