Black Caviar

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Black Caviar

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Trainer: Peter Moody
Jockey: Luke Nolen
Owners: Mr G J Wilkie, Mrs K J Wilkie, Werrett Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Mr C H Madden, Mrs J Madden, Mrs P A Hawkes, Mr D M Taylor, and Mrs J Taylor.

Her ownership group consists of a group of friends who go back as far as kindergarten, who decided to get organized and buy a racehorse together, a story similar to that of Sackatoga Stable, owners of 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. Their silks were designed by the Wilkie's daughter, inspired by seafood: salmon pink with black spots representing caviar (fish eggs).

Undefeated So Far:

With America's Zenyatta and France's Goldikova now retired from racing, the eyes of the racing world are firmly on Black Caviar, the latest in a recent line of popular fillies and mares to string together winning streaks and beat males on the track. She was ranked the world's best sprinter of 2011. She has raced exclusively in stakes company except her debut, a restricted handicap for 2-year-olds in April 2009. Since then she has won the Patinack Farm Classic, Schweppes Stakes, and Schillaci Stakes twice each. Interestingly she has never raced in Group 3 company, moving from Listed stakes directly to Group 2 in her fourth start, the Danehill Stakes at Flemington. She has won by 6 lengths twice, and her closest margin was 3/4 length in the Danehill Stakes. She has only raced at sprint distances of 7 furlongs or less on the turf, and exclusively at Australia's top tracks of Flemington, Caulfield, Moonee Valley, and Randwick.

On Friday January 27, she won the Australia Stakes (G2) for the second time, extending her unbeaten streak to 17. She stalked the early pace and then at the top of the short Moonee Valley stretch, found another gear and powered away to win by 4 1/4 lengths over Zedi Knight in a time of 1:09.44 for 1200 meters over good turf. On Saturday February 11, she stretched out to 1400 meters (7 furlongs) in the C.F. Orr Stakes (G1) at home at Caulfield and did not disappoint, stalking the pace as usual then taking over at the 3/16 pole to win by 3 lengths over late-closing Southern Speed in 1:25.14 over dead turf. Then a week later, on February 19, she equalled Zenyatta's 19-race win streak, taking the Lightning Stakes (G1) at Flemington for the second time by 1 3/4 lengths over Hay List in 55.53 seconds for the 1000 meters over good turf, just 3/100 second off the stakes and track record.

Large crowds pack the stands for each of her starts and she has yet disappointed to disappoint them. Racing fans in several other countries would love to see her ship overseas and there is a possibility she may ship to Dubai to run on World Cup night this year, but more likely she will compete at Royal Ascot, a meeting where Australian shippers have recently found success.

Her Breeding:

Black Caviar is a bay daughter of Bel Esprit out of the unraced Desert Sun mare Helsinge. As a result, she traces back to Northern Dancer on both her sireline and broodmare sire line. She was foaled at Swettenham Stud in Nagambie, Victoria, and sold for $210,000 (all figures Australian) at the Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sales.

Trainer Peter Moody:

Peter Moody keeps a stable of about 60 horses on the Caulfield Racecourse backstretch, with assistant Tony Haydon, wife Sarah, racing manager Jeff O'Connor, and office administrator Marni Kelly, and was the leading trainer in Australia for the last 2 seasons, wresting that title from the Hayes and Freedman clans which had a stranglehold on the premiership for over 3 decades. She has been ridden by jockey Luke Nolen for all of her starts except her first two, when Jarrad Noske was in the irons, and the 2010 Patinack Farm Classic, where Ben Melham replaced Nolen who was serving a suspension.

The photos accompanying this profile were taken by photographer Amber Chalfin who visited Moody's barn in January 2012.