In Europe we have Goldikova, America’s queen of the track until last November was the great Zenyatta and down under there’s a sprinter who treats her rivals with such contempt that her performances have to be seen to be believed. Her name is Black Caviar and she has quickly amassed a worldwide fan club.
This week Black Caviar achieved the accolade of being named the best Flat horse in training anywhere in the world, with the World Thoroughbred Rankings Committee awarding her a rating of 130, one pound higher than the mark given to Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame following his narrow defeat of Zenyatta.
A daughter of Royal Academy stallion Bel Esprit, Black Caviar is out of Helsinge, an unraced half-sister to Magnus, winner of the Group 1 Galaxy Stakes in 2007 who wound up his career finishing eighth in the King’s Stand Stakes, just three lengths behind Equiano.
Helsinge is by the former National Stud stallion Desert Sun, whose place is assured in the annals of Australian racing history courtesy of another mighty mare, Sunline, the winner of 13 Group 1 races and 32 of her 48 starts.
Black Caviar, unbeaten in 11 starts, four of those coming at the highest level, is now the mare that the whole of the racing world is talking about. Whether the world outside Australia will get to see her in action live remains to be seen. Her trainer, Peter Moody, was also the trainer of Magnus, and he has not ruled out a trip to Royal Ascot in 2012 but this year appears to be out of the question. Whenever she comes, there could be no more exciting addition to Britain’s flagship Flat meeting.
Watch Black Caviar’s imperious win in the Coolmore Lightning Stakes at Flemington on February 19
