Black Caviar back for the spring
26-06-2012
Brent Zerafa From: The Daily Telegraph June 26, 2012
PRELIMINARY scans have isolated Black Caviar's muscle tear to her quadriceps, giving Peter Moody confidence the mighty mare will get the opportunity to extend her unbeaten streak during the Melbourne spring carnival.
Initial fears that injuries sustained during the Diamond Jubilee Stakes could end her career have been dismissed with Moody eyeing the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.
"I have had my vets and chiropractors take some precautionary X-rays of Black Caviar,'' Moody said.
"They have come back fine, but she has some soft tissue damage. The quadricep muscle is where the main problem is and she is quite sore behind. It is the tightest I have seen her after a race.
"They are injuries she has sustained before, so it is not unusual. She has torn her quad muscle before and it will not be the finish of her. She is very flat and will now have a couple of weeks rest.''
Black Caviar is no stranger to injury, having torn muscles during her win in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes as a three-year-old.
The queen of Australian racing entered quarantine yesterday and will be given an extended break upon return before assessments are made on her racing future.
"She will be prepared for another crack at the Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington, which she has won for the past two years,'' Moody said.
Managing part-owner Neil Werrett told English press yesterday that his team had no regrets about the Royal Ascot trip despite Black Caviar performing below her best.
"t's been a whirlwind and I don't think anyone has regretted bringing the horse here (to England),'' he said.
"We've met the Queen and the horse got a pat from the Queen, so if this was the end, she's ended on a high.
"I'm sure many owners would love to be living this dream of owning and winning at Ascot.
"Unfortunately, England or Europe didn't see the best of Black Caviar.
"At the same time, we're very thankful she won and she needs a bit of a rest now.
"She's a high-maintenance horse and we want to make sure she's well before she goes to race again. That's something we'll assess in three or four weeks time. At the moment it is too early. It is one day after the event and Peter wants to get her home as soon as possible.''
Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter estimates that Black Caviar ran almost 15 ratings points below her best when victorious in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes.
"Obviously she raced many lengths below her peak rating and now we know there were reasons for that. At the moment she's rated at 130 and she rated 115 in winning the Diamond Jubilee Stakes,'' Carpenter said.
