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Tuesday 22 March 2011

Black Caviar attempts to equal Nijinsky



Australian sprinter, Black Caviar, seeks to make it eleven from eleven in the $500,000 William Reid Stakes this Friday at Moonee Valley and in doing so she would break a very old record held by Nijinsky by winning all eleven of her career starts to date in listed races.
Black Caviar is truly an exceptional horse and so far she has established a weight carrying win record for a mare at 58kg, surpassing the 56.5kg carried to victory by Maybe Mahal back in 1978, she also tied a modern weight carrying record (58kg) with her 10th victory in the Newmarket Handicap and matched Shaftesbury Avenue's 58kg in 1991. She also gained the fastest Newmarket race finish in its 137 year history with a record time of 1:07.36 in what seemed like a virtual canter and she would equal Phar Lap's 1930's 14 race win record if she where to win the William Reid this friday, the TJ Smith Stakes(9th April), the BTC Cup(14th May) and the Doomben 10,000 on the 28th May. A tall order but who knows what this horse really is capable of ?

Royal Ascot officials have been courting connections in order to bring her over to the uk, however her trainer has said "I know the people from Royal Ascot are interested in Black Caviar but I don't think anything is going to change in regards to her campaign,".
Her ninth win in the Lightning Stakes has been the springboard to many a Royal Ascot in the past with the likes of Choisir (2003), Takeover Target (2006), Miss Andretti (2007) and Scenic Blast (2009) all winning at Flemington before heading for dear old blighty, but it now looks like it will be next year before she conquers the Northern hemisphere.

She could have a challenger by then in the shape of MOSHE her year younger full brother.  Moshe had his first start in late November last year, winning easily at Bendigo. He then won well at the Valley before resuming with an odds-on defeat behind top-class Decision Time in the Fireball Stakes at Rosehill. He then ran in the Moreton Hire Handicap were he stormed past the leaders in the straight to win by more than a length. Asked about "family expectations" his trainer said: "I was probably glad he didn't come out and win by five or six lengths. He can't help that he's a brother to Black Caviar, He's been an immature horse. That's why he didn't race till three. Black Caviar was the same; maybe it's in the genes," .

If you do get a chance to watch Black Caviar's race this friday then make sure you do so as it could be another step in racing history.