Tragic news on Saturday with the ownership group of undefeated world champion sprinter Black Caviar announcing her passing just one day short of her 18th birthday.
In a land that prizes our sprinters, Black Caviar was the best have we have ever produced in Australia winning all 25 of her race starts with 15 of them in Group I races including that memorable victory at Royal Ascot in 2012.
She was humanely euthanized at the Scone Equine Hospital in NSW on Saturday morning suffering from a laminitic condition after foaling a colt by champion sire Snitzel and her owners have released a statement.
Black Caviar was bred and sold by Gilgai Farm and was famously bought by her trainer Peter Moody for $210,000 at the 2008 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
By Bel Esprit from Helsinge, she put the spotlight on a female family that is flourishing today with her champion half-brother All Too Hard a Group I producing sire and her close relation Champion 3YO Ole Kirk due to have his first runners this season.
The family produced a new possible topliner last week with exciting Toronado (IRE) colt Theblade winning on debut at Randwick.
Black Caviar has had seven named foals and five of them have raced to produce four winners and she has an unraced three year-old Written Tycoon filly called Persian Caviar in work with Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman and a yearling colt by The Autumn Sun.
Black Caviar has three daughters at stud and a son Prince of Caviar, who stands at Riverbank Farm, so her legacy is assured.
Aside from her racing exploits, Black Caviar was a remarkable horse with a great personality and keen intelligence that made her a favourite with all who knew her.
I was lucky enough to see her several times during her stud career and she was always the same- gentle, serene and happy with her place in the world.
