THE STORY OF TWO-AND-A-HALF STRIDES

By Graham Potter | Monday, June 25, 2012

The collective in-take of breath from racing enthusiasts around the world watching the finish of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, when Luke Nolen prematurely eased the Black Caviar down over the concluding stages, would almost have been enough to put the planet off kilter for a split second in time.

Certainly the whole of the racing world seemed to stand still as the agonising final few strides of the race played out on a level of drama seldom seen, even in a sport used to great theatre.

Whether it unfolded frame by frame in slow motion for you, or whether it all happened in a flash of disbelief at what you were witnessing, it all translated into a rare finish that will have its own place in racing history.

While, understandably, Luke Nolen’s self admitted ‘brain fade’ remains the high-profile headline, I believe that once everybody has got over the shock of how Nolen helped get Black Caviar into such a vulnerable position, the final two-and-a-half strides of the race should emerge as the real wonderment of the race.

Make no mistake about it, with the two French runners Moonlight Cloud and Restiadargent closing fast and Black Caviar almost at a full stop, two-and-a-half strides from the line Black Caviar was going to be beaten.

That result was within a fraction of a second of reaching the point of no return when Nolen, either hearing his rivals arriving or seeing then out of the corner of his eye, became aware of the threat and he urgently pushed Black Caviar out again. Had he done so any later, one of racing’s biggest upsets and most infamous results would have been in the record books.

But the fact is, after committing a ‘rookie’ mistake of massive proportions in not riding Black Caviar out all the way to the line, Nolen did react when caught in the most dire of circumstances. That move …and the timing of that move by Nolen was more critical than his earlier mistake.

Done in fear … done in panic, it does not matter. Nolen threw the reins at Black Caviar and what happened next was simply out of this world.

From what basically would equate to a standing start relative to the flying momentum of her two fast-closing rivals … with less than 20m left in which to respond … and with the possible painful hindrance of two muscle tears sustained in the running … Black Caviar drew on strengths of reserves that only true champions can call upon.

Of course the ability has to be there, but there can be no better example than this occasion of where mental toughness and a commitment to win was challenged to the n’th degree and Black Caviar sailed through the challenge, sticking her neck out to win take her record to twenty-two wins from twenty-two starts to once again confirm, in no uncertain terms, just how special a race-mare she is.

And isn’t there just a possibility that Black Caviar’s important, instant race-winning response to Nolen’s belated urgings was so immediately forthcoming because of the bond she has formed with a rider who had looked after her so well for so long, as he was trying to do, this time perhaps misguidedly and to his own detriment, in the running of the Diamond Jubilee?

A bit of a romantic view perhaps, but I’ll run with that. It just adds a new dimension to the incredible story of the last two-and-a-half strides of a highly memorable race.

Those last two-and-a-half strides and what Black Caviar achieved in that moment is the part of the race I will remember for a very long time. Far more than I will dwell on the much documented error of Luke Nolen.

The record books will show it was a case of mission accomplished. In truth, it was far more than that … and the cost of Black Caviar’s victory still has to be determined.

The future of the mare will be decided after due assessment which will take place following her return to Australia.

For the moment though, it is top hats off to the Black Caviar team, in particular trainer Peter Moody and Luke Nolen who have had to face the brunt of the media circus that follows their champion around on a daily basis … something they have continued to do with good humour and common courtesy.

Everybody wants a champion. When you get one, nobody wants that dream to end, but sometimes … just sometimes … the view of a normal life away from it all must look quite attractive.

Let’s hope for their sakes that Peter Moody and Luke Nolen are now allowed some down time to be able to gather their own thoughts and find their own meanings as they reflect on what they have achieved, not only for themselves but for a nation of horse racing fanatics!

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