NEWS
Black Caviar on target for Friday return in Australia Stakes
Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2012 5:25 PM
by Mike Curry
The Australia Stakes (Aus-G2) on Friday lured 13 nominations, but the field for the 1,200-meter (5.97-furlong) race figures to be much smaller due to the presence of one mare—undefeated reigning Australian Horse of the Year Black Caviar.
The seven-time Group 1 winner will attempt to extend her unbeaten streak to 17 at Moonee Valley in the Australia Stakes, which will be her first start since winning the Patinack Farm Victoria Racing Club Classic (Aus-G1) on November 5 at Flemington.
Mosheen, the 2011 Crown VRC Oaks (Aus-G1) winner and the most formidable challengers among the Australia Stakes nominees, was removed from consideration for the race because her connections felt she needed another week to prepare and preferred not to face Black Caviar. Mosheen has not raced since winning the Crown Oaks by nine lengths on November 3.
Trained by Peter Moody for a partnership, Black Caviar has raced exclusively in her native Australia. She could venture outside the country this year, but Moody mapped out a plan for her next three starts. After the Australia Stakes, the six-year-old Bel Esprit mare would target the C. F. Orr Stakes (Aus-G1) on February 11 and the Futurity Stakes (Aus-G1), both at 1,400 meters (6.96 furlongs) at Caulfield.
Moody said he has not looked beyond the first three races on her 2012 slate. She also has been nominated to the Lexus Newmarket Handicap (Aus-G1) on March 10, which Black Caviar win by 3 lengths in 2011, and to the $2-million Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-G1) and the $1-million Al Quoz Sprint (UAE-G1) on Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) night on March 31 at Meydan Racecourse.
"I have thrown in a nomination [for the Newmarket] just like I threw in a nomination for Dubai," Moody told the Sydney Morning Herald. "It's just in case. Who knows what could happen? She could get a stone bruise. Who knows what weight she would get in the Newmarket?"
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: John, Somerset, KY on January 26, 2012 at 02:59 AM
I love this mare. But with her talent level, she needs to be traveling internationally to the top G1 sprints around the world. She's just never gonna be challenged running against the same horses over and over in Australia. Unless perhaps Sepoy was to run a really big race against her? But those 2 seem to be going out of their was to avoid racing each other in Australia for some reason? Who knows, maybe they'll end up hooking up in Dubai in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint or the G1 Golden Shaheen in March? One can at least hope.
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