Moody Threatens To Take Away Black Caviar

Peter Moody and Black Caviar

Peter Moody could take Black Caviar overseas instead of running in the Melbourne Spring Carnival

Peter Moody could snub Australia and take Black Caviar overseas in the spring as he becomes increasingly unhappy about prize money in Melbourne.

Moody says he’s refusing to rule out any option for his superstar and has brought up some possibilities including the Sprinters Stakes in Japan during October and the Hong Kong International Sprint two months later.

He says he’ll be meeting with the owners throughout the week to get their feelings on the matter, something he hasn’t had to do at all during her career so far.

The request to have a look at the overseas options is said to have come from the owners themselves as they seek to understand all the details involved with race scheduling and quarantine.

It’s all but certain Black Caviar will be offshore next year at the latest with a campaign at Royal Ascot firming as the most likely outcome.

In terms of this year though, Moody says Australia just doesn’t add up when compared to the $1.2 Million on offer in Japan alone.

“There is a lot of prize money on offer in a race like the Sprinters Stakes in Japan,” Moody said.

“The prize money from that one race would pretty much cover all the races (open to her) in Melbourne in the spring.”

One of the main gripes Moody and the owners have is to do with the prize money distribution in the Patinack Farm Classic.

The Victoria Racing Club announced earlier in the year that there would be a $600,000 bonus to any winner of the Patinack Farm Classic which had won a Global Sprint Challenge event earlier in the year.

That basically means there’s an extra $600,000 on offer for Black Caviar’s competition, but nothing for her.

“They’ve got no doubt that they’ve felt that they’ve looked after this mare and looked after Australian racing very much with her and then for a big carrot to be put in front of her opposition and not so much her is probably a little bit hurtful,” Moody said.

“You’d like to think she might be the drawcard, not a horse from anywhere getting the opportunity to race for twice as much money.

“I think anyone would be slightly miffed about that.”

No firm decisions are expected to be made for at least a few weeks when Black Caviar returns from her spell.

Another thing Moody did confirm though is that he was sticking to his plan of working her up to a mile.

Just how soon that happens will again depend on her travel plans with the Myer Classic at Flemington if he chooses to stay in Australia or potentially the Queen Anne Stakes if they travel to England next year.

If connections do lock in an international trip to end the year there’s still a chance we’ll see her one last time before she left, probably in the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley over 1000m.

Punters around the country will be hoping for one more carnival at home, especially considering Rocket Man was confirmed earlier in the week as coming this way to face her in Melbourne.

Patrick Shaw said he was driven by glory more than money and has signalled his intention to take on Black Caviar in the Patinack Farm Classic.

Any Victorian campaign would likely take the following route:

McEwen Stakes, Group 1 Manikato Stakes, Schillaci Stakes, Moir Stakes, Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic and then potentially even the Winterbottom Stakes across the country at Ascot.

About The Author