After 25 consecutive career wins, the world’s greatest sprinter will start lucrative breeding career.
Champion mare Black Caviar, widely considered the world’s greatest sprinter, was retired Wednesday after 25 consecutive race wins and will now begin a lucrative breeding career.
“We thought long and hard about racing on but believe she has done everything we asked of her and felt it was the right time to call time on her wonderful career,” trainer Peter Moody said.
“She’s in great shape and that’s the way we wanted her to bow out. We just thought the time was right, you know it was a hard decision.”
The six-year-old, who has won nearly Aus$8 million (US$8.3 million) in prize money, beat a top international field in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes over six furlongs (1200 metres) at Royal Ascot last June.
The travel to England for that race took its toll on the horse and it was several months before she was back to her old self.
But she showed her resilience to smash a quality field of sprinters in the TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney on Saturday, prompting talk of a return to Royal Ascot or the possibility she would race on in Australia for another season.
Moody said Black Caviar’s 2013 Australian campaign, which netted wins in the Lightning Stakes and William Reid Stakes, had been a bonus after Royal Ascot.
“We got three more runs than we thought we were ever going to have,” he said. “We thought she would be retired post-Ascot.
“But we’ve been fortunate to bring her home here and I think the owners are to be congratulated on allowing me to race her on and give the Australian public three more opportunities to see her.”
She will now begin a breeding career, with her foals potentially worth millions of dollars.
Last week, her half-brother sold at auction for Aus$5 million (US$5.2 million), Aus$2 million above estimates.
“She’s going to embark on a new career,” Moody said of a horse that won the World Champion Sprinter award in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
“We’ve done our job, she’s more than done hers, she’s been a great advocate for the sport.
“She brought interest to our sport that hasn’t been there for decades. Black Caviars don’t come along every day.”
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