Black Caviar Conquers Royal Ascot Despite Injuries

Champion mare Black Caviar sustained muscle tears and severe bruising to her hind quarters during her narrow victory at Royal Ascot on Sunday in the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes extending her unbeaten streak to 22 wins from 22 starts in a heart-stopping finish.

“I think she'd just had enough,” Moody said when asked whether his jockey had erred in easing her close to the line.

Nolen, when pressed on the same question said, “Maybe I underestimated how gruelling the six furlongs is here. I did let her idle in the last few strides and normally she just keeps flowing to the line but today her big engine shut down.

“It took me by surprise. I thought she'd still coast to the line but she came right back to me. But she doesn't know how to get beat and she's won, that's the bottom line isn't it. That's the key to the story, she's won again and she's amazing,” he said.

Moody, who hinted at retirement for the mare if she didn't come through the race well, said his only disappointment was that the mare had not been exposed to the British earlier in her career.

It was confirmed that Black Caviar crossed the finish line injured, and would have been restricted as a result. Black Caviar underwent precautionary x-rays after her surprisingly narrow victory on Saturday which revealed no issues. But a chiropractor who examined her at her Newmarket stable later found she was sore and tender in an area equivalent to the human quadricep.

Black Caviar won despite being undoubtedly below her best which adds merit to this performance in her amazing unbeaten run which now stretches 13 wins more than any other Australian horse in history.

“She’s entering quarantine today, we’re sending her home, but we’ll be able to have the injuries treated whilst she’s in quarantine.”

Moody said Black Caviar ate up after her Royal Ascot win but admitted the mare was “very flat and tired”.

Moody is still hopeful Black Caviar will be right to race in Melbourne again during the coming spring carnival, she will be assessed further and then a decision will be made on a Melbourne spring appearance. Black Caviar would start in the Sportingbet Manikato Stakes on October 26 before a shot at a third Patinack Classic two weeks later on the final day of the Flemington Carnival.