Sydney’s weather Gods will decide if Black Caviar lines up for her twenty-fifth start in the Group 1 $1m Darley T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Black Caviar could miss the T J Smith if the track is heavy. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer Peter Moody has pencilled in the $1m weight for age race for his world champion but will not start the mighty mare if the track is overly rain affected.
The Australian Turf Club had to conduct the Golden Slipper Day meeting at Rosehill last Saturday on a slow 7 rating and the forecast for Sydney for the rest of the week is for showers on most days.
“She certainly won’t be there on a heavy rated track,” Moody said.
“If it’s slow I’ll have a discussion with the owners, but I have reservations.”
“I’ll just approach it as if we are racing then assess it closer to the time.”
“We will probably go all the way to Saturday and see what it’s like.”
Moody says that he has Black Caviar the best she has ever been and continued to impress on the track with another amazing gallop at Caulfield this morning.
“Nearly the fastest she has gone here,” Moody said after the 800m gallop which saw the great mare break 22s for the final 400m.
“She is going as good as she ever has. We are amazed that at this stage of her career is has never been as sound, certainly as far back as her three-year-old days.
“I’m tickled pink with the way she is going. I don’t think I could have her any better.”
Moody has plenty of options up his sleeve if connections decide to miss the T J Smith with a return to Adelaide on April 27 looking for back to back wins in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Classic (formerly Robert Sangster Stakes) (1200m) at Morphettville.
Or Moody could accommodate Racing Queensland who shifted the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) on May 11 from Doomben to Eagle Farm to prepare for the huge crowd that will arrive to see the champion mare.
And connections haven’t ruled out a return trip to England following Black Caviar’s successful journey there last year taking out the Group 1 £500,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot on June 23.
Black Caviar will arrive at Moody’s Rosehill stables on Thursday night and the leading trainer has planned to give her an easy gallop on Friday morning to top her off for the T J Smith with connections hoping the weather will clear.
Moody is confident that Black Caviar will make it twenty-five straight wins after racking up win number twenty-four with another effortless four length victory in the Group 1 $400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 22, taking her prizemoney earnings to over $7.3 million.
