Black Caviar: Serving only the Finest

Australia has produced some of the finest champions in horse racing history, from Carbine to Pharlap and Kingston Town, the greats have spanned the centuries, conquering challenges and climbing heights of highest honor Yet sometimes racing from the great “down under” seems to be largely overlooked by the rest of the world and especially the United States where traditional dirt racing is the mainstay. Sure, we hear about the Group 1 Melbourne Cup because it takes second place only to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as the world’s most prestigious grass race, but aside from that there really is no easy-to-come-by source of information about their current runners like there are for European and American horses. This first came to my attention late last year when the name Black Caviar kept popping up in racing discussions. Australia’s undefeated phenom of a race mare was proving untouchable against the best of both sexes in Australia and I was having trouble finding so much as a full blown article covering one of her victories. The subject came to my attention once again after HRN released their All-Time Greatest Filly and Mare rankings this past weekend and I spotted a comment from a user stating the exact same sentiments I was harboring; “how can you rate a mare you barely know when there isn’t any information on her?”

So I decided I’d had enough of the table scraps and wanted the full dish about this incredibly talented mare; appetizer, entrée, desert and all. I hope you will enjoy reading this as much I enjoyed researching it, Black Caviar is easily one of the most gifted horses in modern history. After compiling all the facts and stats there is little doubt in my mind that Black Caviar has already earned herself a spot among racing’s all time greats.

Black Caviar was foaled on August 18, 2006 at Swettenham Stud in Australia. She is the first foal out of the unraced mare Helsinge(AUS) and is the daughter of Bel Espirit, son of 1990 Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr.1) winner Royal Academy(USA). She captured her first Trial at 800 Meters on March 30^th, 2009, winning by five lengths with jockey Luke Nolen up. Next she took her race debut by another five lengths in the 1000 Meter Cromwell Handicap and coasted home by six for her first stakes win in the 1200 Meter Blue Sapphire Stakes.

Freshened for sixteen weeks, Black Caviar was returned to the races on August 22^nd as a three-year-old and easily won by four lengths to bring her record to three wins in three starts. Next up trainer Peter Moody decided his charge was ready for a bigger challenge and entered her in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes on September 5^th where she once again proved her prowess. After stumbling at the start and sustaining an injury to her chest, the sophomore filly quickly recovered her footing and blazed her way across the finish line, winning for fun. Given a good twenty weeks to recover from her injury, Black Caviar returned to the races on January 22^nd 2010 and claimed victory in the Australia Stakes (G2) against older horses, winning by more than two lengths for her fifth win. Now she was beginning to turn heads on a national stage. But once again the talented filly’s plans were put on a temporary hold when a leg injury was discovered and she was scratched from the February 13^th William Reid Stakes (G1). [Read the complete article on Distaff Runner at Horse Racing Nation]