They almost had the lot on Super Saturday at Flemington.
Australia’s biggest sprint race, an Australian Cup that looked more like a Melbourne Cup and Bart Cummings in the winner’s stall.
Just about the only thing missing was the super horse.
But as it turned out, Black Caviar wasn’t altogether absent.
After setting Flemington alight on the same day last year with her victory in the Newmarket Handicap, the world’s greatest sprinter was represented this time by her little brother, All Too Hard, in the Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
And he didn’t let the family down.
All Too Hard ran away with the Sires, scoring by four lengths and prompting his trainer John Hawkes to part with a couple of rare superlatives.
“I’ve trained a few good colts over the years,” Hawkes said.
“He’s right up there with them.”
Among Hawkes “few good colts” are Octagonal and Lonhro, so placing All Too Hard in the same category says a lot.
But it is the comparison with Black Caviar that is more topical and more relevant.
All Too Hard is out of Black Caviar’s mother Helsinge and cost his owner, the mining magnate Nathan Tinkler, $1.025 million as a yearling last Easter.
To secure the colt, Tinkler had to outbid Black Caviar’s owners who were at Flemington to watch him win.
“We certainly wanted to buy him,” said Gary Wilkie, one of Black Caviar’s shareholders.
But the owners of a world champion couldn’t match the owner of a string of coal mines in the bidding war.
“Nathan wouldn’t stop,” Wilkie said.
“He had a few billion more than us.”
Tinkler has made a massive investment in racing and his Patinack Farm operation has had considerable success.
But All Too Hard could be the horse he has spent a large fortune to find.
The colt has won his only two starts and his trainer must now decide if he goes for the quick fame in the big Sydney autumn two-year-old races, or puts him away for the spring.
“We’ll see what happens, but we won’t rush into anything,” Hawkes said.
“We’ll see how he progresses, he may or may not run in the Golden Slipper.
“Slippers are funny races.”
While All Too Hard’s two-from-two record is a long way behind Black Caviar’s 19-from-19, he is probably already a more valuable racehorse than she is.
“She’s the best in the world and he’s just a baby,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.
“But he’s a colt, so he’s probably already worth more than her.”
AAP TURF
