While the Australian Turf Club will be struggling to accommodate Black Caviar’s multiplying entourage, the Brisbane Racing Club is planning a venue change to give the world’s best sprinter a grand farewell during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Black Caviar is led back after winning the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Black Caviar is a great chance of racing in the Group 1 $1m Darley T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick on April 13 and her owners have put pressure on the ATC to provide two hundred and twenty member’s ticket.
After packing out Moonee Valley on Friday night in what was a spectacular event with Black Caviar winning her twenty-fourth straight race in the Group 1 $400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m), any race club would be happy to host the great mare in her farewell Australian tour.
But with the construction of their new grandstand at Randwick still not complete, the ATC will still be limited for space on T J Smith day with chief executive Darren Pearce to meet with senior part owner Neil Werrett to discuss the arrangements.
”This week we’ll invite Neil and bring him to Randwick to show him that at this meeting we are limited for space but we are prepared to talk so that they are well accommodated,” Pearce said.
‘It’s just a difficult day because of the limitations that we have with space. And combined with that, it’s one of the biggest race days on our calendar.”
”And days like Derby day, you have major sponsors that also have to be looked after. But we will sit down and discuss what we’ll do with the Black Caviar people.”
But further north Racing Queensland chairman Kevin Dixon said that a proposal to shift the May 11 Doomben race meeting to Eagle Farm to fit in a possible 50,000 racegoers for Black Caviar’s farewell if connections decided to run in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m).
“Doomben maxes out at 22,000, but we could put measures in place to have 50,000 people see her if we moved the race to Eagle Farm,” Dixon said.
“Having her in Brisbane would be a fitting finale to her career and if she were to come we want to ensure it is as grand as possible.”
With only a couple of weeks notice, Dixon said the switch would be possible with only minor distance changes for some of the supporting races.
“We would want to make this the biggest event on a Queensland racetrack in memory,” Dixon said.
“It would also be a chance for Peter Moody to be given the grand stage – something he richly deserves for what he has achieved with this horse – in his home state.”
Black Caviar’s owner are to meet with trainer Peter Moody this week to iron out where the great mare is to run next with the weight for age T J Smith high on the agenda followed by a trip to Queensland for the BTC Cup.
Or the alternative plan is a return to England to defend her crown in the Group 1 £400,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot on June 22 and a possible mating with former world number one racehorse Frankel who is standing at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket for a service fee of £125,000.
“The only reason you would go to Royal Ascot is that we are going to go to Frankel,” part owner Gary Wilkie said.
“We’re not going to go to Royal Ascot if we can’t go to Frankel.”
