Black Caviar: set for a return in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley
PICTURE: Racing VictoriaRacecourse workout for Black Caviar at Caulfield
Australia: Black Caviar pleased trainer Peter Moody in a workout at Caulfield in preparation for her return in the Group 2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday week.
Moodysaid the unbeaten mare, rated the world's best sprinter and second-best racehorse in the world behind Frankel, put on a fair bit of condition during her three weeks in the paddock.
But she was now in "unbelievable order" for her attempt at 17 straight wins and beyond.
"She had a nice burn around on the course proper - they went from the 1200-metre chute to the home turn," Moody said on Radio Sport National.
"She had a nice gallop and her action was good and I'm very pleased with her."
Stable jockey Luke Nolen, who has ridden Black Caviar in 13 of her wins including six Group 1s, rode her in Tuesday morning's 800-metre workout.
Moody said the five-year-old would "do a little bit of work" next Tuesday as her final hitout before the Australia Stakes - a race she won two years ago when coming back from a strained chest muscle.
"She's gota long six or seven months ahead of her so we don't need to be doing everything on the training tracks at this point in time," he said.
Moody said he's been itching to get Black Caviar out to 1400m for the first time in her career in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes and the Futurity Stakes, both at Caulfield next month.
"I've been busting to do that for probably two years," he said. "I've always felt her improvement would come when we stretched her out in distance. So I'll either be a mug or a genius in about three weeks' time when we see her in the Orr."
Moody said if the Bel Esprit mare comes through those three runs unscathed and equals champion US mare Zenyatta's modern-day record of 19 straight wins he would like to see her try to break that record in Australia before she goes to England.
Moody said a 1600-metre start was on the radar after the Futurity.
"There are numerous options but I'm just worried about these next three at this point in time," the trainer said.
The Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18 and the July Cup at Newmarket on July 9 are earmarked for the seven-time Group 1 winner at this stage.
Meanwhile, Nolen told Sydney's Sky Sports Radio Black Caviar had won Tuesday's jumpout "with considerable ease".
"She was quite content to lope along with the leader of the trial and I just gave her a squeeze halfway out, clicked her up, and she went to the line on the bridle but I think she would have run some slick final splits," he said. "We're very happy with where she is at."
Comments