News

Caviar return on track

3rd Dec 2012

Sydney Morning Herald - Monday, 3 December 2012

UNBEATEN sprinter Black Caviar's workload will be stepped up over the next five weeks as the champion prepares for a return to the racetrack.

The mare is at Peter Clarke's property in country Victoria, her home away from home throughout her career.

Clarke made his name with the invention of the water walker for horses, which raises their fitness levels without the strain of galloping on hard tracks.

Trainer Peter Moody said he expected Black Caviar to return to his Caulfield stable in January to prepare for the group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February, a race that now bears her name.

But he also said he would not hesitate to retire the mare if he felt she did not come up to expectations.

''She's full bore from tomorrow towards the Lightning,'' Moody told Melbourne's radio RSN on Sunday.

''We're very happy with her but obviously extremely conscious of the situation we are in with her that we don't want to see her beaten now.

''We certainly won't hesitate to retire her along the way but I'm hopeful that we do get her back to the track in the great form that she's shown all along.''

Black Caviar has not raced since the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in England in June, where she came the closest she has yet to being beaten in 22 starts.

She was eased up on the line by Luke Nolen, who had to rally the mare to get her over the line a nose in front of Moonlight Cloud.

Black Caviar was subsequently found to torn muscles in her hind quarters, which went some way to explaining why her usual acceleration was missing.

Her 12 group 1 wins include the past two runnings of the Lightning Stakes over the 1000-metre straight course at Flemington.