News

Black Caviar wins Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot

23rd Jun 2012

Black Caviar, the queen of Australian racing, saluted in front of Queen Elizabeth II at Royal Ascot in England on Saturday, adding the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes to her growing list of 22 victories from 22 starts.

Jumping well from the outside barrier the undefeated mare settled up on the pace over the testing 1200m course and although punters were given a few anxious moments when jockey Luke Nolen eased up on the world champion sprinter it was job done, her 12th win at Group 1 level.

“I probably just underestimated the testing track of Ascot, I was kind to her late and she’d had enough and I let that big engine throttle down. It’s a bit unfortunate as it [narrow win] is probably going to overshadow what was a very good win,” Nolen said.

Trainer Peter Moody had been adamant from when the plan was hatched to travel the great mare half way around the world to compete at Ascot that the manner of victory was not important, and he was very humbled by Black Caviar’s game performance in front of the sell-out crowd of 80,000.

“You’ve only got to win by a quarter of an inch, that’s what we were prepared to come here and win by, and we’ve got the job done,” said Moody.

“We never expect dominance, we’ve never asked her for dominance, she gets the job done, we’re more concerned about her next run than we are today.

“We’re extremely proud of her, she’s 22 from 22, it’s never been about margins, it’s never been about dominance.

“I’m an extremely proud Aussie, words can’t describe the feeling, just to be here and take it all in it’s an unbelievable feel and it’s very befitting that it’s with a horse like this,” Moody said.

Moody, who purchased Black Caviar ($210,000 2008 Premier, 5m Bel Esprit-Helsinge) from the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, was also blown away with being given the opportunity to present Australia’s Champion racehorse to Her Majesty the Queen after the race.

“There is no doubt that her majesty is a horse lover, the two queens of Australia maybe,” Moody laughed.

The owners, G J & Mrs K J Wilkie, Werrett Bloodstock P/L Synd (Mgr: N Werrett), C & Mrs J Madden, P Hawkes & D M & Mrs J Taylor, had dreamed of having a runner at Royal Ascot and the whole team were certainly relieved after the victory, as were the other 10,000 Australians estimated to be on track at Royal Ascot.

To watch where it all began for Team Black Caviar, in the sale ring at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in 2008 CLICK HERE

The great mare (pictured as yearling) was sold from the draft Swettenham Stud on behalf of her breeder Rick Jamieson from Gilgai Farm, who also sold Black Caviar’s three younger siblings with Inglis including Group 2 winning half-brother All Too Hard for $1.025million and their yearling half-sister this year for $2.6million.

In winning overnight Black Caviar joined Australian-bred and Inglis sold gallopers Choisir and Starspangeldbanner as winners of the prestigious Diamond Jubilee Stakes, which this year marks the sixth leg of the 2012 Global Sprint Challenge.

The daughter of Bel Esprit was the winner of the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge earlier this year, the Group 1 VRC Lightning Stakes at Flemington, and is the box seat to collect the US$1million bonus on offer to a horse that can win three Group 1 races across three different countries during the series.

Moody has indicated that the world’s highest rated sprinter will return immediately to Melbourne for a campaign during the Spring Carnival before a possible trip to Hong Kong in December in an attempt to sew up the lucrative bonus.