News

She's back: Black Caviar crushes rivals in sizzling trial

17th Jan 2012

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew Eddy - Tuesday, 17 January 2012

The world's fastest racehorse, Black Caviar, proved she had lost none of her brilliance over her summer break when a breathtaking winner of an 800-metre trial at Caulfield this morning.

Just 10 days away from her return to the track in the group 2 Australia Stakes over 1200 metres at Moonee Valley, the unbeaten Black Caviar recorded the fastest time of the morning's trials when she breezed home in 46.34s in a performance that thrilled her trainer Peter Moody.

''She's come up very nicely and looks in really good shape,'' Moody said. ''I think we might see the best of her this time around and not just because she's now a fully matured five-year-old mare. I think she's going to make one hell of a horse at seven furlongs (1400m).''

In her 16 straight wins, the horse who last week was confirmed by an international panel as the best sprinter and best race mare in the world, has never been beyond 1200 metres but she will step to 1400 metres in the group 1 Orr Stakes and then group 1 Futurity Stakes following her first-up run.

Yesterday's jump-out from the 1200 metre barriers at Caulfield presented little problems for the astonishing mare who at about 585 kilograms, is just five or 10 kilograms above her racing weight of last spring. Moody said he will give Black Caviar one more solid hit-out next Tuesday to ''top her off'' before her much-anticipated return to racing.

Black Caviar will have just three runs in Melbourne this autumn before a decision is made on whether she runs again in Sydney before she embarks on her overseas adventure to take on the world's best sprinters at Royal Ascot in England in June.

Black Caviar was yesterday ridden by her race jockey Luke Nolen, who wore a huge smile all morning. He explained that Black Caviar's trial was not the only reason behind his wide grin as his wife Alicia gave birth to the second child - a daugher Kailey - on Monday afternoon.