Champion mare and the major drawcard for this Saturday’s Racefest at Doomben, Black Caviar has come up trumps with the ideal barrier four draw in the BTC Cup.
Black Caviar has drawn ideally with barrier four for the BTC Cup on Saturday
Peter Moody’s world-class sprint star, Black Caviar now looks undefeatable in her attempt at a 13th successive race win this weekend.
Before acceptances or gates for the $400,000 Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) were released this morning, four-year-old Black Caviar was already as short as $1.14 to score victory in her Brisbane debut.
Having performed to perfection in a Doomben hit-out with regular rider Luke Nolen aboard yesterday morning, and now with the ideal starting position, those odds are sure to firm making Black Caviar one of the shortest-priced BTC Cup favourites in history.
Can anything stop this majestic animal? It seems unlikely with Nolen labelling Black Caviar to be in flawless form after yesterday’s gallop.
“He (Nolen) was surprised how sharp she was and he, like me when I saw her on Saturday, couldn’t fault her,” Moody said.
Already a $3.2 million earner having made the history books as the first Australian mare to take out five successive Group 1 races with her incredible TJ Smith Stakes win last start, Moody believes that incredibly nobody has seen the best out of the ‘Black Flash’ yet.
“I honestly believe her best racing is still in front of her as this is her first preparation where she has been 100 per cent sound with no hiccups.”
Having trounced her rivals by unbelievable margins time and time again, it is hard for the 20,000 predicted racing fans set to pack Doomben to the rafters on Saturday to imagine how much better the world’s best horse could get.
The only possible threat to the queen in the BTC Cup is Hay List, one of the seven other final acceptors game enough to take Black Caviar on.
John McNair’s gallant galloper and second favourite in the BTC Cup odds drew barrier six, two outside his arch nemesis.
After earlier radiating confidence that Hay List could get the better of Black Caviar fourth time around, McNair is likely to be disappointed with the BTC Cup draw as he had expressed a desire to draw inside of the favourite.
“All we can do is show up and hope for once she draws outside us,” McNair said yesterday.
Defending BTC Cup winner Albert The Fat was also one of the final acceptors this morning, the Scone-trained six-year-old set to have the inside running after drawing on the rails with barrier one.
Leading the local contingent in the BTC Cup field this year is Robert Heathcote’s Victory Stakes winner Buffering, the Mossman three-year-old drawing barrier seven in their toughest career test to date.
Rounding out the challengers to Black Caviar in the BTC Cup are the Tracey Bartley-trained seven-year-old Sniper’s Bullet (barrier five) resuming after a six month spell, dual Stradbroke Handicap winner Black Piranha (barrier three), the John Thompson-trained No Evidence Needed (barrier eight) and Gerald Ryan’s classy mare Melito (barrier two).
Earlier this week Gerald Ryan made the brave declaration that his forgotten Group 1 winner Melito could in fact turn the tables on Black Caviar.
The Redoute’s Choice four-year-old comes off a fourth to Hay List in the All Aged Stakes, and despite Melito having been beaten by a collective 18 lengths in the two races she was defeated by Black Caviar in, Ryan isn’t backing down.
“There was a train of thought to miss the BTC Cup and concentrate on the mares races, but I’ve never run away from a Group 1 with her yet, so why start now?” he said.
“She has had 15 starts at Group 1 level and never let us down.
“I know Black Caviar and Hay List are in the race and they probably have the edge on Melito at 1200m, but there are two 1400m races (Stradbroke Handicap / Winter Stakes) that we are getting ready for.
“Plus I feel we have been riding Melito to suit the lack of speed in races and I’m hoping we can ride her a little more quietly on Saturday.”
2011 Bundaberg Distilling Co BTC Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0X3800280X | SNIPER’S BULLET | Tracey Bartley | Chris Munce | 5 | 58.5kg |
| 2 | 1X4568009X | BLACK PIRANHA | Con Karakatsanis | Matthew Palmer | 3 | 58.5kg |
| 3 | X1116X2121 | HAY LIST | John McNair | Glen Boss | 6 | 58.5kg |
| 4 | 3105X040X4 | ALBERT THE FAT | Paul Messara | Damian Browne | 1 | 58.5kg |
| 5 | 3X122124X1 | BUFFERING | Robert Heathcote | Larry Cassidy | 7 | 57kg |
| 6 | 1X111X1111 | BLACK CAVIAR | Peter G Moody | Luke Nolen | 4 | 56.5kg |
| 7 | 1X55X15324 | MELITO | Gerald Ryan | Glen Colless | 2 | 56.5kg |
| 8 | 412256X365 | NO EVIDENCE NEEDED | John P Thompson | Dwayne Dunn | 8 | 56.5kg |
