Black Caviar lost a paltry 10kg on her 30-hour hike from Melbourne to Newmarket in the UK. Source: Getty Images

Black Caviar in top nick after huge trip from Melbourne to Newmarket

10-06-2012

Rod Nicholson From: Sunday Herald Sun June 10, 2012 

BLACK Caviar lost a paltry 10kg on her 30-hour hike from Melbourne to Newmarket in the UK and is already eating, drinking and having a trot around in preparation for the Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot on Saturday week.

Peter Moody's loyal assistant trainer Tony Haydon told The Sunday Herald Sun from Newmarket that Black Caviar "had done a treat" on the flight and then the three-hour float trip.

"The trip could not have gone better as far as I'm concerned," Haydon said.

"She lost only about 10kg, which is hardly worth mentioning. She'll put that back on in a day or two. She drank up well, and ate up on the trip over, grazing most of the way. Nothing seemed to faze her.

"She settled in beautifully, and I took her for a little gallop this morning, just to let her stretch her legs.

"We will go gently, gently for a few days because she doesn't need any work after the two strong gallopers Peter gave her at Caulfield on the Saturday and Monday before we left. She just had a light trot to look at the surrounds and stretch her legs. She looks in fantastic order."

Horses generally are expected to lose between 20kg and 25kg on a long-haul flight.

Moody said in previous trips the camp had been forced to apply fluids to horses with minor dehydration, but his vet Peter Angus was happy with her to rest and do things a la naturally.

The five-year-old daughter of Bel Esprit is aiming for her 22nd career win at Ascot and bookmakers now have her a firming odds-on favourite, mostly at $1.30, to stretch her record-breaking resume.

Betfair is expecting Black Caviar to take the record volume of trade - $7 million - on a Royal Ascot.