The pressure on Peter Moody’s unmatched mare Black Caviar to maintain her flawless race record continues to build as the champion sprinter prepares for her 14th career start at Doomben Saturday week.
Black Caviar will seek her 14th straight win in Saturday week's Doomben 10,000
Four-year-old Black Caviar gave the fans in Brisbane plenty to cheer for last weekend when the brilliant daughter of Bel Esprit made it a baker’s dozen of consecutive victories with another effortless performance in the BTC Cup.
Our queen of the turf has now won 13 straight across three states and her six most recent wins have all been Group 1’s making her a $3.47 million earner.
While connections of Black Caviar are living the dream, there is now more than ever the anxiety over just how long the racing royal can remain undefeated with the weight of success rising along with the number of times she crushes her rivals.
On May 28 Black Caviar will attempt to equal the people’s horse Phar Lap on 14 uninterrupted turf triumphs by winning the $650,000 Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m).
“There is only one Phar Lap,” co-owner of Black Caviar Colin Madden said.
“Even though (Black Caviar) is getting close on one point of measurement.”
Regular rider of the ‘Black Flash’, former Dalby boy Luke Nolen, admits that although grateful to have the chance to ride such a freakishly talented horse there is still the fear that one day Black Caviar will indeed be beaten.
“Some jockeys go a whole career without having a horse like this and I’m fortunate she’s in Peter Moody’s group,” Nolen, 31, said.
“Every time she wins I suppose a little bit more pressure goes on next time because of her record and Peter’s aware of that.”
Black Caviar has been the major drawcard during the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.
Doomben was filled to the brim with over 21,000 racegoers for BTC Cup Day, the Black Caviar flags and merchandise selling quicker than the champagne.
Another capacity crowd is expected to turn up for a second serving of Caviar on Doomben 10,000 Day and Nolen just hopes that if the time comes when the mighty mare doesn’t salute, people don’t forget what came before.
“She’s an animal and one day she might not show up and I hope the public understand that,” he said.
At this stage, however, there seems to be no reason why Caviar won’t continue her superlative succession of wins.
She is the raging $1.16 in the pre-field Doomben 10,000 markets with Hay List the next shortest-priced entry at $5.
Moody confirmed earlier in the week that his number one runner had pulled through the BTC Cup beautifully, to the competitive dismay of Hay List’s trainer John McNair.
McNair has four times tried his courageous galloper Hay List against Black Caviar and is yet to come within two lengths of her on the line.
The Gosford-based horseman was harbouring hopes of getting the better of Moody’s black beauty over the increased distance of the Doomben 10,000, but after hearing from the trainer’s mouth just how well Black Caviar was doing, McNair is very doubtful she won’t still be undefeated come the end of her prep.
“I was feeling so good….my horse has pulled up sensational,” McNair said of Hay List after the BTC Cup.
“Half an hour Moods comes over and has a chat, starts telling me how good she (Black Caviar) has done.
“I’ve lost my appetite again.”
McNair may have lost his appetite but Black Caviar’s ever increasing contingent of supports are far from full and will continue to back her until the very end.
