BACK HOME – THE LUKE NOLEN PRESS CONFERENCE

By Graham Potter | Monday, July 2, 2012

Luke Nolen faced the media at a press conference at Mornington last Thursday where he gave a very frank account of his experience in that drama-filled finish aboard Black Caviar at Royal Ascot.

Seldom has a winner looked so disconsolate as Nolen did that day after Black Caviar had successfully defended her unbeaten record and it was his humbleness in the moment and his readiness to accept responsibility for a ‘rookie error’ that nearly proved so costly that put many more people on his side in the debate that was to follow than he might have realized at the time.

The lesson was that a rider should never stop pushing a horse along as they close in on the line no matter what advantage he thinks he has on the opposition but, that aside, we now know there extenuating circumstances which can explain why Black Caviar slowed in such heart-stopping fashion before finding the courage late to keep her rivals at bay.

Here are some extracts from that equally heartfelt press conference which entrenched the impression that Nolen had learn his lesson as well as he had taught others and that, at the end of the day, the rider deserved to have survived one of the ‘great escapes’ in racing’s history.

Looking back at the overall Ascot experience:

“I look back on it with mixed emotions. It should have been one of the biggest days in my life but, being my own worst critic and my ride being the story of the day … yeah, it didn’t sit well with me.

“That’s my cross to bear and I’m comfortable with it now. It took me a few cans on Saturday night to get right with it, but I’ve moved on. You can’t get yesterday back and you are still on your feet.

“This is the most disappointing thing about the whole experience. It should have been a great one. I got to meet the Queen and that was a wrap. We shake hands. We had a bit of a chat. The fact that she (Black Caviar) is twenty-two runs unbeaten should have been the story and it should have been the story of Ascot, but it was unfortunate that the ride has taken precedence over that.”

Looking back at the ride and its aftermath:

“She (Black Caviar) should have been the story. There’s just way too much press … all around the world actually … on the ride itself. It wasn’t my best. It was far from my best … it was probably one of my worst and you got that sinking feeling.

“The fact is I haven’t ridden her any different in any of the nineteen starts I’ve been on her. I always let her coast because we always look after her. I thought I had an advantage great enough but, because she obviously wasn’t herself, the anchors came on pretty quick. I was lucky to escape it … but nevertheless she still won. It wasn’t as emphatic a win as she has had in the past … probably just made it that bit more special because we had a bit of drama there.

“I’ve always been kind to her and I haven’t been any different to her. She is a very important horse to me and we’ve always done it. That’s why we probably had the longevity of twenty-two straight runs because we have looked after her in the past.

“She wasn’t her usual self in the run but I wasn’t sure for what reason that was. I probably got a greater understanding of it post race … but when she really throttled back on me, horses only do that when they are sore and she would normally coast to the line every other time.

“But these are just excuses for my ride on her. I have to take full responsibility for the ride and it overshadowing what was supposed to be a brilliant performance from Black Caviar in her twenty-second straight win. It should have been a celebration of one of the greatest horses we have ever seen. My ride seems to be more news than the win itself, I feel.

It’s a bit of a beat-up at the minute … that’s the only thing. She was still the winner and hopefully when all this settles down a bit it (her win) will be reflected on a little better.

“You know, at the end of the day, she still got the job done no matter how controversial the circumstances.”

A word on the dramatic final strides of the race:

“I always thought I had the advantage. I just had to get a bit urgent late.

“She just stopped so noticeably on me. I don’t think it was so much them flying home, I think she was coming back to them also. Horses only stop that fast when they are hurting, so I think she was out on her feet.

“At the time she probably had about a length-and-a-half advantage and they brought it back to a head advantage … we got away with it.

Coming back to scale:

“At the time to I knew she wasn’t one hundred percent when she trotted back to scale. She’s got a bit of a funny, almost pacing /trotting action as it is.

“She feels good when you are on her back, but she doesn’t always look that good when you see her trot out.

“Coming back to scale there were definitely some issues there.”

On the nation’s involvement and the pressure that expectation brings:

“She (Black Caviar) does have a country racing on her shoulders and on her back because of the fact she is so popular she has transcended our sport. It’s been like that for a long while.

“It was no different over there and I can only imagine what it was like over here.

“When you are on her back, you are far removed from it. You don’t play to it. You can only ride her and what will be will be.

“You actually look forward to the pressure of riding Black Caviar, believe it or not. It wasn’t so much earlier in her career, but now you seem to thrive on it.”

On the future of Black Caviar:

“I’ve got no gut feeling about that. I don’t know. These decisions will be made by Peter Moody.

“She’s in quarantine over there at the moment. When she gets back to Australia she’ll be vetted and Peter will make his decision from there.

‘I’ll be happy if she pushes on but, like all horses in Peter’s care, the horse comes first … and she’ll tell us.

“I don’t know how I will feel when she does eventually retire.

“It’s probably been coming for a long while. Each run might be her last, but until it comes I probably haven’t thought about it that much.

“When she is retired, it will be with great pride that I was associated with one of the best horses I have ever seen and ridden.”

On the Peter Moody, Luke Nolen relationship:

“He (Peter Moody) didn’t say much right after the race. He said something like … I can’t remember exactly … but it was something like it (the margin) was a bit closer than he was comfortable with it being.

“He still loves me.

“I’ve still got the job.”

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