The Embodiment of Equine Perfection

photo from Wikipedia by Froggerlaura

Saturday October 20 2012

When all the superlatives are finally used up: Horse of the Year, Wonder Horse, Brilliant, Invincible, Champion, Equine Perfection, Horse of the Year, Horse of the World, Greatest Racehorse in the World, and when you get wicked goosebumps watching the Champion win, even when you've already watched the race a dozen times, you know you're watching a truly great horse.

With all the hysteria over Zenyatta (i.e. okay, *my* hysteria), you'd think, after I announced I was done with racing, I wouldn't get excited over any racehorses anymore.

But it's hard to ignore other greats like Australia's Black Caviar, and Europe's Frankel. As of today, at Royal Ascot, Frankel retired undefeated in 14 races over 3 seasons (at 2, 3, and 4)

Even more exciting concerning these extraordinary racehorses than the "undefeated" (and in Queen Z's 'undefeated except in one race by a head'), is the "retired sound" (or in Black Caviar's case, 'still sound', as she has not retired yet).

First of all, just to have a top class racehorse who can run for more than two seasons is nothing short of a miracle these days, and then to get a horse through 3 seasons (Frankel) or 4 seasons (Zenyatta and Black Caviar), running at the top of their game and taking on all challenges, is just phenomenal.

Kudos to the owners and trainers and riders and grooms who accomplish this successfully in a racing world desperate for heroes (I get so tired of hearing that phrase) and a racing world where most good horses win a couple of races over one season and either get injured or retire to the breeding shed for a bazillion dollars.

This was Frankel's final race today in the Royal Ascot Champion Stakes. (and search YouTube for more of his spine-tingling, goose-bumping performances!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6Sid0fqd_4

(and look for Black Caviar to return in early 2013 for a 'farewell tour' in possibly Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane)

Black Caviar Update

Herald Sun Photo

February 24 2012

After Australia's rad racehorse Black Caviar's win last Friday in her 19th consecutive race, which came only one week after her previous win, she was possibly going to run again tomorrow, on only 6 days' rest again, in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes.

However, it appears owners and trainer Peter Moody have decided her next major goal will be at Royal Ascot in England in June. She will possibly go for her 20th win in a row in Adelaide or Brisbane before she flies to England. Those of us who know racing (and probably most of us who don't) are probably breathing a wee sigh of relief she is not running her third Group I race in 3 weeks tomorrow, although the trainer was confident she would have won again.

Moody said, "There's nothing wrong with her. To the contrary, she's at the top of her game. But it's all geared around having her at her peak when she flies across to England for the 6-furlong Diamond Jubilee Stakes. That's the Royal Ascot race the owners have had their sights on for some time and everything is being tailored like a Savile Row suit to have her cherry-ripe for that race on June 23."

There in England it is possible that Black Caviar, the world's current number 2 racehorse will meet the world's current number 1 racehorse in Frankel, though Moody's not committing to anything other than the Diamond Jubilee Stakes. (Frankel was 9 for 9 at the end of last year as a 3-year-old; his 6 length win in the 1-mile 2000 Guineas is called 'one of the greatest displays on a British racecourse". He has yet to start this year.)

(All this, and really, I'm not that interested in racing anymore after Zenyatta - really!)

Top photo is by the HeraldSun.com.au

Here's a video from last October comparing the two

**CORRECTION: Black Caviar was to run in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield racetrack on Saturday. Not the Blue Diamond Stakes.
Thanks to Lorrie for pointing that out!