FLEM FEB 19 - THE TASTE OF CAVIAR

By Graham Potter | Monday, February 21, 2011

Black Caviar strolled to victory in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, cementing her place as the best sprinter in the land.

In the process the daughter of Belle Esprit extended her perfect record to nine wins and the uncomplicated ease with which she summarily dismissed the challenge of the well performed Hay List, the only runner in the field with the credentials to test her, was an outstanding effort, much appreciated by all who witnessed one of the easiest Group 1 wins on record.

It was never a contest.

Peter Moody’s champion mare jumped in the leading line and Luke Nolen just allowed her to lope alongside Warm Love at the head of affairs. Hay List tracked across to race on the heels of Black Caviar and these runners held station until approaching the 400m where Black Caviar slipped effortless into the outright lead as Warm Love, game but outclassed, began to drop out of contention.

Hay List initially stayed within three-quarters-of-a-length of Black Caviar but, whereas Black Caviar was travelling under a hard hold from Nolen, Glyn Schofield was having to Hay List a big question and the five-year-old gelding, who went into the race with a record of twelve wins from fifteen starts, had no answer to brilliance of the four-year-old mare.

Again, seemingly without any undue effort, Black Caviar extended away from the struggling Hay List to leave her main rival in her wake.

Inside the final 100m Nolen had a quick check to his left to make certain he had not missed anything and then he began to ease the mare down to a canter over the last 75m as she went to the line to claim the result with contemptuous ease.

WINNER FEEDBACK:
Trainer Peter Moody: “It’s a … what do you say, you know. What do you say. I’m sort of lost for things to say about her.

“I think I put it simply on Thursday … awesome!

“I just said to Luke, travel as long as you can and hopefully you don’t have to ask her for too much.

“When she got to the clock-tower here and he hadn’t asked her and the others were off the bridle it was, you know, pretty exciting stuff to watch wasn’t it?

“I’m lost for words I don’t know what to say. She’s just one helluva horse and she keeps getting the job done for us. Long may she stay sound and we can keep on enjoying her here in Australia.

“I’m very proud to be part of what is probably being an ambassador for Australian racing at the moment through the mare.

“The main issue here is the horse. We want to share her with the people, but we want to do the right thing by her as well.

“They’ve got televisions in the rest of the world and there are plenty of planes coming this way, so if any of them want to jump on one and come and have a crack I’m sure they’ll find a slot for them in a Group 1 here in Australia.”

Jockey Luke Nolen: “It’s a pretty hard feeling to describe.

“When I gave her a bit of rein she put it beyond doubt pretty quickly.

“She’s the sort of horse … when you relax on her she turns off too. She does it at home in her gallops, you know.

“You see her going to the gates today … just relaxed at the buckle and she canters up there without a worry in the world. She soaks it up in the yard beforehand. Oh, she knows what she is doing.

“No, I don’t need to find out how quick she can go. As long as she is winning it doesn’t matter does it?

PRICE FLUCTUTIONS:
Winner (Black Caviar): 1.28 steady.
The winner was the favourite.

STEWARDS REPORT EXTRACT:
After becoming fractious in the barrier King Pulse underwent a veterinary examination and was passed fit to start.

Black Caviar jumped in at the start and made contact with Warm Love. Tollesprit jumped away awkwardly.

Shortly after the start Grand Duels shifted in taking Crystal Lily in onto King Pulse, which was hampered as a result.

In the middle stages of the race the saddle on King Pulse slipped.

A subsequent veterinary examination of King Pulse failed to reveal any abnormality.

A subsequent veterinary examination of Tollesprit failed to reveal any obvious abnormality however trainer S Fliedner was notified that prior to racing again he must be in receipt of the satisfactory results of an endoscopic examination for the gelding.

P Hammersley (Leapfrog) was fined $200 for excessive use of the whip on a horse that was out of contention.

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