Trainer of the world’s best horse, Peter Moody has dealt the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival a massive blow, withdrawing his celebrity sprinter Black Caviar from Saturday week’s Doomben 10,000.
Black Caviar has been withdrawn from the Doomben 10,000 to be sent for a well-earned spell
The undefeated queen of the Australian turf was set to back up from her blistering 13th straight win in last weekend’s BTC Cup and attempt to equal Phar Lap on 14 consecutive wins in the $650,000 Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) on May 28.
Racing fans will now have to wait until the spring to see the mare again, Moody this afternoon confirming he would not be accepting Black Caviar for the Doomben 10,000 field.
The brilliant Bel Esprit four-year-old is not injured and in fact pulled through her Brisbane debut in the BTC Cup well.
Moody said that his star was simply showing signs she was coming to the end of her preparation and he would not risk running her unless she was at full fitness, not wanting to send her to the paddock “flat as a tack”.
Black Caviar will now head for a well deserved spell as a six time elite level winner before being bought back for the spring where she will likely follow a similar campaign to last year culminating in her defending her title in the $1 million Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington in November.
“Black Caviar will be going to the spelling paddock,” Moody said on Twitter.
“All is well but we just feel that she has had enough for this prep.”
The decision by Moody to send Black Caviar to the paddock is in keeping with his earlier comments that she was an animal before an asset to him and that he would not treat her like a money-making machine.
“She’ll tell me when she’s had enough and if that’s next week, so be it,” Moody said after the BTC Cup.
Moody consulted with Black Caviar’s owners before making the shock announcement and they were happy to go with his gut instinct and let her have some time off.
“Look, she could have gone around again and won, then gone to the paddock a spent force,” Moody said.
“But this way she goes out on a high note and gets a good six weeks in the paddock.”
Black Caviar was the odds-on favourite in the early Doomben 10,000 odds to win, with John McNair’s hulking galloper Hay List now set to start at the top of the markets.
Hay List has faced off and subsequently been defeated by Black Caviar on four separate occasions including in the BTC Cup and the Gosford-based McNair will be over the moon that his champion will finally get the chance to add another Group 1 win to his name without the ‘Black Flash’ in the mix.
