BLACK CAVIAR BLITZES

Bel Esprit excitement machine, Black Caviar returned to racing today (Saturday) in the same fashion she left it three and half months ago … in control and on top.

Jumping awkwardly in the Listed William Crockett Stakes (now Arrow Training Services Plate) over 1200m at Moonee Valley, it didn’t appear to the faze the filly at all and, on turning for home, it was win as you like. And she liked it a lot!

“It looked pretty painless,” Moody said later. “She won with her ears pricked. The pleasing thing was that she went to sleep outside the leader: it worries you that these type of horses might become one-dimensional.

“But I think the way she put her head on her chest and relaxed, I reckon Luke could have sat last on her.”

Many pundits had labelled Black Caviar unbeatable prior to the race but Moody admitted to a sense of relief that the filly had come through with flying colours. “It looks a bit of a game up the straight, you’re always worried with that type of horse that if something does loom up beside her, can they go any faster?

“I’ve been fortunate enough at home that I haven’t had one fast enough to test her and hopefully we’ve got to wait a while for it to happen on the racetrack,” he continued. “In terms of raw ability, I’ve only been involved with one similar and that’s General Nediym when I worked with Bill Mitchell.

“You just look at them its like a car going around a corner too fast, you’re waiting for them to fly off. She’s got a long way to go but she’s got a lot of natural talent.”

By Bel Esprit out of a Desert Sun half sister to Magnus, Black Caviar was snapped up by Moody for $210,000 at the 2008 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Ironically, Bel Esprit won the male equivalent on the Moonee Valley program (Mitchell McKenzie) seven years previously before tackling the Manikato/Caulfield Guineas/Cox Plate and it appears Pete Moody is planning a similar campaign for his would be superstar.

Indeed, Moody has mentioned that he is considering bypassing the Thousand Guineas-G1 for 3YO fillies and instead tackling the Caulfield Guineas-G1 against the colts.