Black Caviar can race herself into history as one of Australia’s greatest-ever sprinters if she wins Saturday’s $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.
The unbeaten four-year-old daughter of Bel Esprit is yet to be fully tested in nine starts but faces her sternest test in the Group One 1200m feature.
Those efforts have earned her the ranking of the world’s best sprinter.
Trainer Peter Moody said the way she won the Lightning Stakes (1000m) when resuming last month at Flemington was “quite amazing” in the way she raced away from Group One winners such as Manikato Stakes victor Hay List and Golden Slipper heroine Crystal Lily.
Both of those horses are again among her rivals on Saturday.
“I’m not nervous for the horse, she’s going super,” Moody said.
“(It’s) probably public expectation how she’s building this record and it would be a shame to see her get beat.
“It’s the biggest sprint event in Australasia and probably the biggest sprint handicap in the world because the other big sprints around the world are set weights.
“She’s four for four down the (Flemington) straight, she’s in great shape and we think this will probably be her only start under handicap conditions in (the rest of) her lifetime.
“It’s probably the only chance the opposition are going to get under these circumstances.”
Black Caviar, the topweight with 58kg, will have to set a modern-day weight-carrying record for a mare, Maybe Mahal having won the race as topweight with 56.5kg in 1978.
Shaftesbury Avenue, who won with 58kg in 1991, is the only winner in the last 50 years to carry that weight or more.
“(The 58kg) is a big impost but her record says she deserves it, her rating says she deserves it. I’ve got no fears with her carrying the 58kg. My fear has always been what the horses are weighted away from her,” Moody said.
“But one would hope that it doesn’t bring them that close together.”
Moody said the hardest to beat on Saturday looked to be Hay List, Star Witness and another of his horses, Hinchinbrook.
“I’ve obviously got great respect for Hay List with a 3.5kg turnaround (on the weights in the weight-for-age Lightning), Star Witness, he’s proven himself to be a super three-year-old sprinter,” he said.
“He’s very adept to the straight and in receipt of five kilos and the stablemate Hinchinbrook, he pleased us no end in the Oakleigh Plate (when third) and he’s in receipt of eight kilos.”
Black Caviar is already being compared to the best sprinters in Australian racing history such as Vain and Manikato and Moody still doesn’t know how good she can be.
“If she continues on this path I suppose she’s got to be considered as one of the best ever,” the Caulfield trainer said.
Moody simply cannot fault Black Caviar going into the race for which she is quoted at $1.25 with TAB Sportsbet and is set to become the shortest-priced Newmarket winner, 1946 winner Bernborough being the shortest to date at the equivalent of $1.44.
“I think she has improved condition-wise and I take heart from Ben Melham and Luke Nolen who have ridden her in her last two wins and they both say they haven’t seen the bottom of her yet,” he said.
“It’s hard to imagine her going faster.”
AAP TURF
