Black Caviar
In a freakish display she made the Group 1 field in the Lightning Stakes look second class, absolutely blowing them away with a massive victory.
Star juvenile Rancher in 1981-82 was the last Australian racehorse to string nine straight city wins, Black Caviar matching his record today and likely to surpass it at her next start.
Peter Moody’s Bel Esprit four-year-old Black Caviar was first-up for the season following a brilliant four length victory in the Patinack Farm Classic last November and easily added a second Group 1 victory to her ultra impressive record today.
Starting the odds-on favourite as short as $1.25 in the betting for today’s $750,000 Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m), Black Caviar was never threatened.
Like turf greats before her including the mighty Sunline, Black Caviar controlled the race displaying her speed and strength to add her name to the list of Lightning Stakes winners.
Classy young filly Warm Love was the narrow leader early on ahead of the favourite while Hay List settled third, three-quarters of a length back.
But with 200m to go Black Caviar had won and the crowd knew it, cheering her on as she hit the accelerator and left her rivals far behind.
Her superiority over the field was so great that winning jockey Luke Nolen eventually let her drop back to almost a canter to the line.
Finishing second behind the winner Black Caviar for the 2011 Lightning Stakes Quinella was second favourite in the market Hay List four lengths away.
The rivalry between Hay List and Black Caviar was officially put to rest today, the hulking Hay List once again put away by the queen.
Warm Love held on for third, an eye-catching run from the Octagonal filly.
Comeback galloper King Pulse, returning for the first time since being badly injured moments after the Newmarket Handicap 12 months ago, took some getting into the barriers before the Lightning Stakes today.
Finishing off the First Four for the Lightning Stakes was track specialist, the in-form seven-year-old Grand Duels.
A winner of all nine of her career starts to date, today’s Lightning Stakes win boosted Black Caviar’s total career earnings to nearly $1.7 million in prize money.
The next Group 1 assignment for the glamour mare is the $1 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington’s Super Saturday of Racing on March 12.
Black Caviar is set to dominate the Newmarket Handicap odds and betting markets as she did for the Lightning Stakes and it seems only the bravest of punters would dare bet against her.
To view the 2011 Newmarket Handicap betting when markets reopen, sign up with leading online bookmaker Luxbet today.
2011 Lightning Stakes Results & Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7 | BLACK CAVIAR(6) | Luke Nolen | Peter G Moody | 56.5 | 57.20 |
| 2nd | 1 | HAY LIST(9) | Glyn Schofield | John McNair | 58.5 | 3.3L |
| 3rd | 10 | WARM LOVE(5) | Ben Melham | David Brideoake | 53.5 | 5.0L |
| 4th | 2 | GRAND DUELS(4) | Steven Arnold | Byron Cozamanis | 58.5 | 5.4L |
| 5th | 9 | CRYSTAL LILY(3) | Damien Oliver | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | 53.5 | 5.6L |
| 6th | 3 | TRUE PERSUASION(7) | Craig Newitt | Mick Price | 58.5 | 5.9L |
| 7th | 6 | KING PULSE(2) | Mark Zahra | Michael Moroney | 58.5 | 8.2L |
| 8th | 4 | LEAPFROG(1) | Paul Hammersley | Bruce W Hill | 58.5 | 15.2L |
| 9th | 5 | TOLLESPRIT(8) | James Winks | Shane Fliedner | 58.5 | 35.2L |
| Src | 8 | STIRLING GROVE | Craig Williams | Richard Jolly |
Photo courtesy (c) Steve Hart Photographics
