News

Black Caviar steals the show again

23rd Oct 2011

Herald Sunday Sun - Adrian Dunn - Sunday, 23 October 2011

COULD a four-horse field upstage Australia's premier weight-for-age race?

The standing ovation from punters - who crammed into every available vantage point at Moonee Valley - afforded Black Caviar as she stepped on to the track, and then the thunderous, seemingly endless, applause after her success in the Schweppes Stakes told the story.

Black Caviar stole the show, yet again. This extraordinary mare, whose remarkable, unbeaten winning streak now stands at 15, cast the Cox Plate to support act status.

Preposterous as it may sound, reality is that nothing can upstage the Black Caviar show.

So mesmerising was Black Caviar that for a moment trainer Peter Moody lost track of just where black Caviar's winning streak stood.

Moments after Moody handed back the lucky $1 coin to part-owner, Col Madden, a ritual that dates back to when Black Caviar's streak was in single figures, he lost count.

''It (the coin) will be there for number 16 ... 16 next time?'' Moody queried.

Black Caviar has now matched the achievement of two turf immortals Carbine - way back in the late 19th century - and Bernborough, more than 50 years ago.

Sent out at $1.03, the equal shortest priced winning favourite, Black Caviar coasted to a six-length win, a margin that could have been in the double digits had Luke Nolen not slipped her back into neutral for the final 75m.

As Moody noted Black Caviar has become not only a racing yarn, but a wonderful story that has captivated the country as evidenced again.

''It's just great to see the joy she brings people,'' Moody said. ''There wasn't much competition for her, but she is just great for the sport. I'm just ever so grateful to be part of it.''

Those sentiments were echoed by Luke Nolen, who described himself as ''just the lucky bloke on her back''.

''It's Cox Plate day and she could nearly be the star of the show,'' Nolen said.

''It's a very humbling experience to be part of it.''

Black Caviar will now head to Flemington for the $1 million Patinack Farm Stakes (1200m) on November 5.

Moody said the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot on November 19 was still very much on the script for Black Caviar.

He noted that the owners had always been keen to showcase Black Caviar around Australia so ''Perth is very much in the picture''.

Suggestions that Black Caviar had to travel overseas, as she will next year to contest Royal Ascot, to prove herself, riled Moody.

''We would like to go to Royal Ascot, but to all those naysayers and knockers who say she has to go overseas to prove herself, I think that's bull....,'' Moody said. ''Let's enjoy her at home for as long as we can.''

While the Schweppes Stakes shaped and proved a walk-in-the-park for the mighty mare, Moody admitted he was still a ''little bit toey''.

''Things can go wrong, but Luke took no risks,'' Moody said.

When you are staring at perfection it's hard to find faults and while there's none with Black Caviar, Moody noted it was pleasing to see that Black Caviar jumped with the field and not give them a start as she has before.

''She's putting that little habit behind her and she stretched out lovely,'' he said.

And, she showed that a four-horse field can sometimes upstage a $3 million race.