Guest Column: Around The Clock: Black Caviar Makes History

15 April, 2013
– Lisa Barrett

Australia’s wonder mare Black Caviar rewrote the history books when she notched up her 15th Group One, and 25th straight victory on Saturday in the $1 million T.J.Smith Stakes in Sydney. There was all sorts of pre-race media speculation as to whether the great mare would take to running in a clockwise direction (a quirky Aussie tradition) as she was running in New South Wales, one of the two states in Australia where they run in a clockwise direction, as opposed to the anti-clockwise in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. In the end it didn’t matter, as she once again showed why she is justifiably the greatest.

Lining up in a top class field with Hay List (multiple Group One winner in Australia and New Zealand) and Epaulette (Golden Rose Gr.1) among the entries, Black Caviar was sent off at prohibitive odds of 1-7. Starting well, jockey Luke Nolan managed to get her to the outside to avoid getting boxed up by the field, and kept her handy mid-field within distance of the pace-setter Rain Leader. With about 300m to go, he gave her the gentlest of reminders, and she responded with alacrity, powering away to win by three lengths from the rest of the field in front of a jubilant sell-out crowd at the Randwick racecourse.

It was an uncharacteristically emotional Nolan who trotted her into the winners enclosure, where ecstatic trainer Peter Moody was waiting with the connections to congratulate the pair on the victory.

Fellow jockeys who rode the game but luckless opponents, were completely blown away by Black Caviar’s performance in the race. Hugh Bowman who rode Black Caviar’s half-brother Bel Sprinter was desperately disappointed for his ride who managed a gallant third, and said “It can break their hearts when they’re trying their hardest and they get flogged like that”.

Former South African champion jockey, Glyn Schofield who tried to box the great mare up with his ride Hay List was too overcome to speak after the race, perhaps best summing up the feelings of his fellow jockeys – they were simply outclassed by a phenomenon!

Moody is keeping his cards close to his chest as to further plans for “Nelly” as the Australians fondly call her, but talk is that she might may reappearance at Royal Ascot, possibly for a title defence of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Gr.1) where she scored one of her narrowest victories ever.