Black Cariar 5/9/09

Black caviar aims high
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun
Adrian Dunn
September 06, 2009 12:00am
PETER Moody is seriously considering the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes for Black Caviar, who extended her winning streak not without a few heart flutters in yesterday's Danehill Stakes at Flemington.

Moody outlined three options for Black Caviar, including two Group 1 races against older horses as well as a return to her own sex and age group, when she next starts.
He identified the $350,000 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 19, a race she is likely to get in on the minimum weight, and the weight for age $500,000 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 25 as the Group 1 options.
Click small photos by BEWC photographer to enlarge

The other race is the Group 3 $125,000 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on the same day as the Sir Rupert Clarke.
"They're three very good options, we'll just weigh it up," Moody said.
"My biggest thing is whether I can keep her at 1200 metres. I've always had the Thousand Guineas in the back on my mind, she has been trained towards that.
"What I've got to consider is whether she can maintain her brilliance for three 1200m runs. There might be more security going to the (Thousand Guineas) Prelude or the Sir Rupert Clarke."
After sending a shiver through Moody, jockey Luke Nolen, connections and punters who bought the cramped odds when she slipped soon after the start, Black Caviar regrouped to add the Group 2 race to an already impressive record.
Nolen said that unlike her previous start where she missed the start, Black Caviar jumped a length clear then slipped.
"She had to pick herself up and that was only because she was going to head them a length instead of sitting on her bum and then going," Nolen said.
"She was pressured. It's a long straight if you are leading and she is still a big kid, she just had a look. If something had challenged her, I think it would have refocused her."
Black Caviar ($1.45 fav) had three-quarters of a length to spare from stablemate Wanted ($31) as she made it four wins from as many starts.
Moody said his heart was and truly in his mouth after Black Caviar slipped.
"She scrambled. It looked like she slipped ass over head and went along the ground for 20 metres," he said.
"She defeated a very smart field and the second horse Wanted is a hell of a good colt.
"He's been going as good as anything in the yard at home lately so for her to do that and then still beat him it was an extremely good effort."
Moody assessment of Wanted was shared by Brad Rawiller, who, for a twinkling inside the 200m, thought Wanted would test Black Caviar.
"It was just a super run. Yeah, he had a soft trail, but I thought I was going to give the winner a fair bit of cheek 100m out," Rawiller said.
Wanted, Rarefied, Delago Bolt and Tollesprit pushed strongly their Caulfield Guineas claims.
Mark Pegus described as "sensational" the run of Tollesprit ($15), who had to be eased back to second last then had to change course again over the final 200m.

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Glamour filly wins again
Clinton Payne
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Melbourne’s glamour filly Black Caviar gave punters a few anxious moments before passing her toughest test to date to win the Group II Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Black Caviar was away with the field but sprawled as she attempted to muster speed, briefly putting punters’ hearts in their mouths before regaining her balance.
“She flew the gates this time but she slipped both front and back,” Black Caviar’s jockey Luke Nolen said.
“But she got her balance and got going eventually.”
The three-year-old was able to cruise forward to share the lead before going for home at the 350 metres, outgunning her opposition to get home by three-quarters of a length.
Wanted completed the Peter Moody stable’s show of strength by running on hard to complete at stable quinella, a half-length in front of Rarefied from the Peter Snowden camp.
Moody said Black Caviar needed to improve her performance out of the gates if she is to continue her progress into harder races during the spring.
“She can afford to do that less as her competition gets harder,” Moody said.
“But she was able to pick herself up and take a sit and she did it well at the end.
“Wanted’s been working well and he’s a very talented three-year-old so she’s done a good job to beat him.”
Moody said connections had three options to choose from for the filly’s next run, saying the filly could tackle the older horses at 1400 metres.
“She’ll get in on the limit against the older sprinters in the Rupert Clarke Stakes which makes it an appealing option,” Moody said.
“We could go to the Manikato Stakes or the Thousand Guineas Prelude as well.”
The placings and margins: Black Caviar (L Nolen) 54kg ($1.45 fav) defeated Wanted (B Rawiller) 55.5kg ($31) by three quarters of a length with a half-neck back to Rarefied (M Zahra) 55.5kg ($16) in third place.
Winner’s breeding – Black Caviar is a three-year-old filly by Bel Esprit out of Helsinge (Desert Sun (GB)).
The time and sectionals – The field covered the 1200 metres in 1.09.96 with the last 600 run in 33.63 seconds.
What they said – “She just began too quick this time and lost her footing. But she was good enough to pick herself up,” said Luke Nolen, winning rider of Black Caviar.
“Terrific effort. There’s your Caulfield Guineas winner,” said Mark Pegus, rider of Tollesprit (5th).
The market – Black Caviar opened at $1.40 before easing to $1.45. Wanted opened at $21 before starting at $31. Rarefied opened at $9 and eased to $10. The market closed at 117 percent.
Inglis Classic Prospects Impress At Flemington
Saturday, 5 September 2009:
Led by unbeaten filly Black Caviar, Inglis graduates dominated at today's feature Makybe Diva Stakes meeting at Flemington, winning five of the first six races, including three at stakes level.
And a number of them are likely to feature in upcoming three-year-old Classic contests.Despite sprawling at the start, BLACK CAVIAR ($210,000 2008 Premier, 3f Bel Esprit-Helsinge) was able to pick herself up and maintain her unbeaten record in taking out the G3 Danehill Stakes.Trainer Peter Moody is keeping his options open with Black Caviar, who was offered for sale by Swettenham Stud as agent. Potential targets next time out include the G1 Manikato Stakes or G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes - both against the older horses.She is then likely to contest the G1 Thousand Guineas, for which she remains a very warm favourite.
Caviar Overcomes Starting Stumble
Outstanding filly Black Caviar maintained her unbeaten record in the Danehill Stakes at Flemington today but not before giving punters a huge scare after stumbling at the start.
Black Caviar has a history of being tardy at the start, but today's race created another issue.
"We rectified that problem but she was a bit too good at it", said winning rider Luke Nolen.
Nolen shrugged off suggestions that Black Caviar may have taken harm from her stumble.
"I couldn't fault her", he said.
"They can pull muscles in their back but you normally feel that in the run."
"She felt fine to me and she felt fine coming back."Starting a hot favourite at $1.45, Black Caviar put in a final sectional of 33.63 to win by three quarters of a length from stablemate Wanted ($21-$31) with a half length to Rarefied ($9-$10).
Winning trainer Peter Moody was thrilled with scoring the quinella as Wanted has recently joined Black Caviar in his stable.
"She scrambled and I just hope she hasn't hurt herself", he said.
"Hopefully we've still got a horse."
Moody observed that Black Caviar was more agitated than she was before winning the Crockett Stakes at Moonee Valley last start.
"At the Valley I thought she was a bit more relaxed", he said.
"She was a bit more agitated today and she's raced a bit fiercely."Nolen echoed Moody's sentiments, suggesting that the mishap at the start got Black Caviar stirred her up before her better qualities saw her through.
"She's a thorough professional but when we found the front it really didn't suit her", he said.
"She was having a look and I thought she showed a lot of courage late."
While Black Caviar and Wanted will take different paths from here on, Moody has ambitious plans for both three year olds.
"She's beaten a very smart field there today" Moody observed.
"The second horse Wanted, he's a hell of a good colt and he's been going as good as anything in the yard at home lately."
"So for her to do that and beat him, that was an extremely good effort because he's going to be hard to beat in whatever he runs in."
For Black Caviar Moody explained :
"We've got a few options. We've got the Manikato, the Rupert Clarke or the Guineas Prelude."
"We'll just weigh it up."
Nolen suggested that Black Caviar might settle better over a slightly longer distance.
"I'd like to ride her in a spot", he said.
"Today she felt to me like she might appreciate seven furlongs."
"She might have to go to the Thousand Guineas Prelude."
As for Wanted, Moody said :
"He'll go to the Guineas Prelude in a couple of weeks and I'm really looking forward to that."

Early slip puts Black Caviar connections on edge
Andrew EddySeptember 6, 2009
IT TOOK her less than 70 seconds from the start to the finish but trainer Peter Moody held his breath for a little longer than that. For while unbeaten filly Black Caviar proved too smart in yesterday's $250,000 Danehill Stakes at Flemington, a slip at the start of the race caused her connections more than a moment's discomfort.
''I certainly had my heart in my mouth,'' Moody said immediately after the race. ''I just hope she hasn't hurt herself as she went along the ground for 20 yards.''
A quick examination of the muscular filly showed no obvious signs of damage but it will not be until she cools down that Moody can be certain Australian racing's most promising galloper can continue to enhance her lofty reputation through the spring carnival. ''She looks OK. There's no skin off,'' he reported later.
Bookmakers bet no more than $1.45 for Black Caviar as she took on the three-year-old males yesterday and so her three-quarter length victory over stablemate Wanted ($31) may have seemed slightly disappointing on paper. But given that she slipped badly at the start and then over-raced for the early part of yesterday's race, her performance in running 1 minute, 09.96 seconds to win had plenty of merit.
''In the end, she's done the job,'' Moody said. ''Wanted is a hell of a good colt and he's going as good as anything in the yard, so you've got to be happy with what she did.''
Black Caviar has a list of group 1 races at her mercy this spring if she continues in the form she has shown in her four career starts.
The three-year-old filly either goes to the elite level against the older horses in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400 metres) at Caulfield in two weeks or the Manikato Stakes (1200 metres) at Moonee Valley a week later. That is, of course, unless Moody decides the filly can stretch out to the 1600 metres of the Caulfield or Thousand Guineas. ''I've got the Guineas Prelude [1400 metres in two weeks] in mind for her as well but we'll just get home, let the dust settle and make our mind up from there,'' Moody said.
Asked whether he harboured any doubts that she could be as effective by stepping up to 1400 metres, Moody was emphatic in his response. ''I've got more fears holding her back [to 1200 metres],'' he said.
''Now she's had the two runs, she's looking to get out to seven [furlongs or 1400 metres].''