Rocket Man Issues Warning To Black Caviar

While Australian fans are in no doubt that Black Caviar is the greatest racehorse in the world, Rocket Man has once again proved he’d make her work right to her limits if they were to ever meet.

On Sunday night he stormed to victory in the Group 1 Lion City Cup where he jumped as a $1.10 favourite with the next closest horse Better Be The One at odds well over $50.

Australian jockey Danny Beasley was aboard Better Be The One and while he finished second, he admits Rocket Man was in a league all to himself.

“We were chasing a world-class sprinter, probably one-two in the world,” Beasley said.

“(Better Be The One) has run him to five lengths. There are not many horse domestically that have been able to do that.

“Once Rocket Man put three lengths on us at the top of the straight I rode for second place.”

It was a crushing victory that was assured from the jump when Rocket Man strode to the lead and was barely challenged, even with horses off the bit four furlongs from home.

It was the third straight Lion City Cup win for the Aussie bred sprinter and leaves him in the perfect position for the KrisFlyer International later in the month.

The start previous he claimed his maiden Group 1 win in Dubai where he triumphed in the Golden Shaheen.

He’s now claimed 14 career victories and by all reports is running faster than ever before.

“I would say he has come back even better after Dubai,” Rocket Man’s jockey Barend Vorster said.

“It’s however difficult to say if he could get any better but he is absolutely spot-on for the KrisFlyer.”

Black Caviar has one main advantage over Rocket Man and that’s her unbeaten status with the gelding finishing runner-up in the last two KrisFlyer International’s.

That’s part of the reason she sits on top of the international horse ratings with 130 to Rocket Man’s 122 in equal second.

Still, as many call into question the quality of Black Caviar’s opposition the manner of Rocket Man’s huge victory cannot be ignored.

The only way to truly settle the argument is of course with a race and while that at one stage looked unlikely it’s becoming more and more possible.

Peter Moody has finally admitted he may look to international races following the Brisbane Winter Carnival depending on the great mare’s performances.

That could very well include a stint in Singapore on the way to Dubai, a route that would all but assure the clash of the two most awe inspiring sprinters on the planet today.

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