A track fit for two Queens
For a number of years now, Australian sprinters have taken the British sprinting scene at the Royal Ascot Carnival by storm – Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast to name but four. This was something different though; something special; something to behold. The unbeaten wonder mare Black Caviar was coming to town. Queen Elizabeth would be on course as well, but for many of those watching from the former southern colony, she was not the queen of most interest.
Of course, a discussion of Royal Ascot would not be complete without the phrase ‘pomp and pageantry’. While the on-track racing scene in Australia typically centres around fun and revelry, and the Hong Kong scene appears to be strictly business, the British scene places a high premium on social status, elaborate formal fashion and behaving like one has been shot out of a time machine from the 19thcentury. One half expected Mister Darcy from Pride and Prejudiceto be co-hosting the TVN broadcast with Bruce ‘Snowy’ Clark.
The broadcast failed to capture any ‘Fashions on the Field’, Royal Ascot-style activity. Yet one wonders how such an event may have unfolded. With the emphasis on social hierarchies, the more typical discussion of the fashion itself may have crossed over into a dissection of lineage, more akin to the pages of a yearling sale catalogue:
“And now, lot 25 in the contest is by Professor Charles Pennyfarthing out of Lady Huffington-Pennyfarthing. Her dam’s sire was once an advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, while there are two former Deans of Oxford in the sire’s lineage. She is bred to marry into money, and will be aimed at high society social events. Oh…. what’s that? Right, yes, and she’s wearing a fetching yet demure black and white ensemble.”
Into this mix jumped Black Caviar and her salt-of-the-earth trainer Peter Moody. Pomp and pageantry are rarely seen is Charleville (Moody’s home town), or any region of outback Queensland for that matter. For a man who once described his champion mare as having the "neck of a duchess and the arse of a cook", one wonders if Peter felt at home using only the first half of that description in such esteemed company. Not that it mattered greatly – the on-track performance of his special girl would speak far louder than any words possibly could.
The champ was kept very safe in both Australian markets (as short as $1.15 with many bookmakers and $1.10 on the tote) and those in the UK (backed in from 11-2 on into 6-1 on – as an aside, bless the English for sticking with the ‘old school’ method of quoting odds that forces one to use their brain a fraction more). She appeared to be a little more ‘on the toe’ in the mounting ring than usual, but her typical calm had been restored by the time she sauntered down to the barriers. In the early hours of Sunday morning, a nation held its collective breath….
The race itself has already been relived countless times in other forums. Soul led the field up with Black Caviar stalking the speed. The champ took the front inside the 400 and looked to have the race shot to pieces with 200 metres to go, only to falter (in part because Luke Nolen eased off, thinking the race was well in hand) over the concluding stages and barely hold off the duo of French fillies in a photo finish.
Victories on the world stage are rarely accompanied by relief and concern clearly overshadowing excitement – yet here one was. Was there something wrong with the champ? What was going through Luke Nolen’s head in the latter stages? To his eternal credit, Luke Nolen was the first to admonish his own ride. Lingering over everything though was the gap back to former Peter Snowden-trained Soul – he would struggle to stay within 10 lengths of Black Caviar on her best form but finished substantially closer on this occasion. At face value, the result simply didn’t stack up.
With infinite theories abounding as to this anomaly, some supported by more evidence than others, the publishing of this column was held off by a day until more news came through. One should avoid the risk of egg on one’s face wherever possible. By Sunday evening, the explanation for what appeared to be a subpar run was clear – she had suffered two muscle tears and significant bruising.
The complexion of the story instantly and completely changed as a consequence. Think back to a horse like Schillaci. He did it all on raw ability as a youngster, yet the greatest adoration for his exploits came later in his career, when he fought on through injury and pain to tackle the younger brigade challenging his status as an elite sprinter. A similar career arc and affection from racegoers could be used to discuss Manikato. Was one witnessing the evolution of Black Caviar’s status in the ‘fight’? A nation’s love for her had been founded on remarkable ability; unyielding courage could now be added to the equation.
Question marks remain over her future as a racehorse. Moody hopes she can recover from her injuries and return to the track for the Melbourne spring, as does any race lover worth his or her salt.
Irrespective of her racing future, one will never look at her quite the same way again. Her victory over Hay List in the TJ Smith Stakes had always stood above all others as the race in which she dug deepest and responded to the greatest adversity. Yet on foreign soil and against foreign ‘enemies’, in front of the Queen no less, racing’s very own queen eclipsed that effort and displayed the fighting spirit synonymous with the Australian way of life. One can only hope to witness the likes of it again.
* In honour of the occasion and the decorum one is expected to conduct one’s self with in such circumstance, all potential mentions of “I”, “you” or “we” have been replaced by “one”. If this makes one feel as though this column was written with a feather and jar of ink before being sent you via a carrier pigeon, so much the better.
Thanks to Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images Europe for use of the photo
