News

Caviar all the rage in Britain

11th Jun 2012

Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Monday, 11 June 2012

TRAINER Peter Moody is preparing for a media barrage when he arrives in England later this week that might be far more formidable than anything Black Caviar has to tackle at Royal Ascot.

Black Caviar is creating unprecedented interest as she prepares for the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 23 and there are endless requests for interviews with Moody.

Moody said each morning when he wakes, his mobile phone is loaded with messages from British media wanting to know the trainer's every move and any latest news about his champion sprinter.

"It's quite unbelievable the publicity and excitement Black Caviar creates," Moody said.

"I've spoken to British racing people and they said the level of interest in her is unparalleled. She captures the imagination of people everywhere. I guess it is the fact she has never been beaten - she has that aura of invincibility."

Black Caviar, who arrived in England early on Friday morning, is a $1.30 favourite to maintain her phenomenal unbeaten streak and win her 22nd race in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (a1200m) at Royal Ascot.

Moody is due to fly out of Australia on Wednesday night and his first priority when he gets to the UK is to inspect Black Caviar and see for himself how the mare has coped with the arduous journey.

He said reports from his stable staff who travelled with the great mare suggest she has only lost 9kg on the trip.

"The boys are tickled pink with her," Moody said.

"They tell me she hasn't lost much weight but how do you believe the scales, I'm not sure, I'm more a 'viewing' person."Moody said Black Caviar coped better with the 30-hour flight than the two hours it took for her to be floated from Heathrow to Newmarket.

"She travelled unbelievably well to London," Moody said.

"But in the drive to Newmarket, she became a little 'tucked' up.

"My stable foreman Tony Haydon said he was surprised at the difference between what she looked like at Heathrow compared to Newmarket."

Moody said Black Caviar's temperament and iron-will constitution should help her recover faster from the trip than most horses.