FOR THE RECORD

Pinched this one from Hebrews (hope HE doesn’t mind …)

Through Her then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to Her name.

And this one we pinched from Andrew Eddy …

Black Caviar mania hit new heights at Moonee Valley on Friday night with the club forced to throw open the gates as an estimated 15,000 people crammed into the track to watch the greatest mare in the world register her 17th consecutive win.

Moonee Valley Racing Club chief executive Michael Browell said the club had expected a crowd of up to 10,000 but when thousands of people were stranded outside the course 75 minutes before Black Caviar raced in the Australia Stakes, all gates were opened and the crowd was allowed to enter for free to witness what was little more than an exhibition gallop from the mare that no horse has been able to beat. Win No.17 was always going to be a glorified work-out for the world’s premier sprinter Black Caviar and so it proved despite it being a group 2 race worth $200,000.

Few of the crowd - many of whom were wearing the mare’s salmon racing colours - wanted to bet on her at her odds of $1.02 for a $1 win investment, but even fewer wanted to back against her.

Betting was stifled but that could hardly be said of the atmosphere, which went from electric when Black Caviar walked onto the track, to manic six or seven minutes later when the mighty champion let down into her finishing sprint.

Black Caviar was happy to sit back in third position as she allowed Zedi Knight and her stablemate Doubtful Jack to move clear, but once jockey Luke Nolen stoked her up with about 500 metres to go, she rounded up the leaders and swept clear into the home straight. The sectional times told the tale of the race as she ran a sizzling 10.83s between the 400 metres and 200 metres and eased up to run the final 200 metres in 11.23s.

On the line, Black Caviar had four and a quarter lengths up her sleeve from Zedi Knight with four and a half lengths to Doubtful Jack in third place.

Her trainer, Peter Moody, said: “It’s great to see her back. Her attitude is great, her action is great. She had really pleased us at home so it was good to see her go out and do it.”

Jockey Luke Nolen said Black Caviar felt as well as ever. “She’s so relaxed and felt so strong underneath me. It's a wonderful privilege to be on her back.”

The five-year-old mare ran the 1200 metre trip in 1.09.44, which was about 0.8 of a second quicker than she took to win the same race as a three-year-old.

Black Caviar’s win last night took her alongside Hong Kong’s former super sprinter Silent Witness as well as with Mainbrace, a New Zealand stayer of the 1950s, on 17 consecutive wins. Now, only Ajax (18) and Gloaming, Desert Gold and US mare Zenyatta (19 straight wins) stand between Black Caviar and a new record for elite racehorses.

Photos by Bronwen Healy