MOONEE VALLEY RACING club SUMMER 2011 $6.95 (INC GST) On The Pulse A Brazilian Beauty Article by Adrian Dunn DESERT STAR BRUCE CLARK’S DUBAI Luke Nolen Black Caviar & Champagne Article by Andrew Garvey THINK TWICEThe Rise and Rise of So You Think Features from John Costello & Tony Bourke BLACK CAVIARBy ANDREW GARVEY dEspITE pETEr MOOdy’s BravE FacE aT ThE MEdIa cOnFErEncE TwO days BEFOrE ThE wIllIaM rEId sTakEs lasT FEBruary, ThE TraInEr KNEW THE CHANCE FOR groUP OnE vIctory On ThE rEsuME OF hIs OuTsTandIng FIlly Black cavIar MIghT havE passEd FOrEvEr. hile the prognosis for her racing future was good, the suspensory injury she had Wjust incurred, combined with her bulk and subsequent stress on her legs, there were no guarantees The trainer was initially attracted to the Bel Esprit filly by the about her future. fact that she was closely related to his former Group One Fast forward to Flemington on the final day of the 2010 winning sprinter, Magnus. Spring Racing Carnival. With an emotional victory by Black Caviar in the Patinack Farm Stakes, a husky-voiced Moody “EVERYONE HAS DONE A GREAT sounded like he had been urging on his mare with every JOB In hElpIng to gET hEr stride. Back, BuT MIchaEl Is OnE OF The public and indeed her owners, who Moody describes ThE unsung hErOEs In My as “absolutely tremendous” in leaving the training to the sTaBlE and has dOnE a lot trainer, might have expected the victory at the highest level OF wOrk wITh hEr” to come eventually. But for her trainer, the win was a relief In the spring of 2009, Black caviar had been scheduled to run as much as a triumph. in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day. The Patinack was Black Caviar’s eighth win in as many But after injuring muscles in her chest while winning first up starts, but such had been Moody’s initial patience with her in the Danehill Stakes, she had to be spelled just when that and her then injuries. That race was the first time she had group one appeared at her mercy and the autumn had been had more than two race starts in a preparation and the something of a deja vu. fulfillment of the trainer’s assessment of her at the Inglis ‘’I’d gone to the australia stakes to give her some experience Premier Sale two and a half years earlier. at Moonee Valley. After she missed the William Reid Stakes, ‘’I fell in love with her and just had to have her. I thought I feared that if I didn’t get the opportunity to win a group I would have to pay up to $150,000 for her. I paid One with her that I’d be forever kicking myself that I hadn’t $210,000 and would have gone to $310,000,’’ says Moody. done something different with her. 22 Shoot Out WINNING THE PATINACK WAS JUST A BURDEN OFF MY BACK. IT WAS THE PRESSURE I’d PLACED ON MYSELF THAT I hadn’t ruN IN AND woN A Group ONE WITH HER TO THAT POINT ‘’winning the patinack was just a burden off my back. It was Whilst Moody has been doing the worrying, Gary Wilkie, who the pressure I’d placed on myself that I hadn’t run in and won a manages the group of friends and family who race Black Caviar, is Group One with her to that point,’’ Moody says. just enjoying the ride. The group gets together on race days for a large lunch of up to 60 people, and continued the tradition on Even after two outstanding wins following recovery from her William Reid Stakes day. injury, the lead-up to the Patinack was not without incident. Ben Melham had to replace stable jockey and regular rider, luke ‘’around 60 of us still went for lunch after she was scratched. Nolen, who had been suspended. Moonee Valley printed the menu in her colours, which was great. You only get a minute and seven seconds or so in the race, but Such was Moody’s concern with his mare’s welfare that he we try to make the day as much fun as we can and the racing requested Melham temper any celebrations (on what was to be clubs have been fantastic,’’ Wilkie said. ‘‘ his first group One win) until he had dismounted. a fit Black caviar is already back at work, preparing for an assault But while the trainer was happy to take any blame for possibly on the Melbourne autumn group sprints, including this year’s not winning a Group One with his champion sprinter, he is more Pulse Pharmacy William Reid Stakes, followed by the Sydney’’ than happy to share the plaudits for victory with his staff and and Brisbane campaigns. Wilkie and his fellow owners can look others who assist in getting her to the races. forward to some long lunches and a few more Group One Every campaign for Black Caviar starts with a stint on a water victories. walker with pre-trainer Peter Clarke at Murchison in northern Victoria, followed by numerous appointments with Moody’s chiropractor Michael Bryant. ‘’Everyone from (foreman) Tony haydon down has done a great job in helping to get her back, but Michael is one of the unsung heroes in my stable and has done a lot of work with her,’’ he says. 23 El Segundo Essendon Mazda Australia Stakes ThE EssEndOn Mazda ausTralIa Historically a race won by the punters elect, Black Caviar sTakEs rEprEsEnTs vIctorIa’s FIrsT ($1.70) continued the tradition and became the 10th favourite to win the race in its 23 runnings. piavonic grOup 2 racE In 2011. run In (2001) and Flavour (1998) are the only winners of the assOcIaTIOn wITh ausTralIa day race to pay double figure odds, paying $26 and $15 cElEBraTIOns, MOOnEE vallEy plays respectively. hOsT to ThIs kEy sprInT racE undEr This year’s running of the group 2 Essendon Mazda lIghTs On FrIday 28 January. Australia Stakes is sure to attract Australia’s fastest horses as they embark on a rich autumn carnival. Australian In 2010, the unbeaten Black caviar became the first Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy will commence her three-year-old filly to win the race over 1200 metres autumn assault in the race, which will give Peter Moody at weight-for-age conditions in its 23rd running. In a every chance to achieve back-to-back wins. dominant display the bullish filly shone, beating her older and more seasoned opposition by 2 ¼ lengths. Trained out of the all-conquering Peter Moody stable and supremely partnered by stable hoop luke nolen, the filly’s victory was dominant. ESSENDON MAZDA In the race’s short but outstanding history, the Essendon AUSTralIa sT Mazda Australia Stakes has been won by some of akEs country’s fastest horses including Special, Redelva, Schillaci Friday 28 January, 2011 and Hareeba. A prominent inclusion on the race’s honour roll is w.s. cox plate champion, El segundo (2007). Premium Night Racing gates Open 5.15pm First race 6.45pm 42 Linton NEW DISTANCE for Alister Clark ThE grOup 2 TOp cuT alIsTEr clark 7 length maiden win at cranbourne, before franking his class sTakEs FInds a nEw hOME and with victory in the group 2 Top cut alister clark stakes at his dIsTancE In 2011. sET to run undEr third career start. lIghTs FOr ThE FIrsT TIME EvEr On FrIday This year’s race will also offer two-year-olds one of the last 18 March, ThE racE wIll cOvEr a nEw opportunities to qualify for the $3 million golden slipper, with dIsTancE OF 2040 METrEs, IncrEasIng the running of the $100,000 listed sportingbet st albans stakes FrOM 1600 METrEs In 2010. over 1000 metres. Moonee Valley Racing Club is hosting Melbourne’s metropolitan The race was run over 2040 metres between 1987 and 1997. meeting on saturday 2 april, corresponding with golden slipper This $200,000 three-year-old event has been strategically shifted Day in Sydney. to now fall 13 days after the group 1 australia guineas over the mile. Not only offering the best three-year-olds in the country an opportunity over the testing 2040 metres, the race now creates alIsTEr clark sT a direct link to the rich Sydney Autumn Carnival, in particular the akEs group 1 rosehill guineas over 2000 metres, to be contested 8 Friday 18 March, 2011 days after the Top Cut Alister Clark Stakes. gates Open 5.15pm The promising linton won the group 2 Top cut alister clark First race 6.45pm stakes in 2010 with the astute Michael rodd aboard. The lloyd Williams owned galloper was coming off an impressive Black Caviar To Return For Pulse Pharmacy William Reid Stakes Black Caviar ThE grOup 1 pulsE pharMacy wIllIaM rEId sTakEs wIll BrIng to a clOsE MOOnEE vallEy’s spOrTIngBET nIghT racIng sEasOn FOr 2010/2011. Traditionally contested in February, the Pulse Pharmacy winners have won the William Reid Stakes, including The William Reid Stakes has been strategically repositioned Night Patrol, Heroic, Tranquil Star, Chanak, Star Affair and to run on March 25 at Moonee valley, 13 days after the Family Of Man. Ten mares have won the race, the last group 1 newmarket handicap and 15 days before the being Miss andretti in 2007. Twenty-four 3-year-olds have group 1 TJ smith in sydney. with the race now falling won the sprint including ten fillies. The last colt to win the after Flemington’s Super Saturday, it offers sprinters william reid was yell (2003) and the last filly to do so a clear pathway and improved synergies between the was virage de Fortune in 2006.