Clash of the Titans. Round 4.

They are the two most talked about horses currently racing in Australia in the absence of the superstar So You Think, who's departure for Ireland left many of us wondering what could possibly fill the enormous void left by this magnificent thoroughbred.  And remarkably, they have exceeded even our wildest hopes.

I speak of course of the mare that is currently ranked the World's Greatest Racehorse, Black Caviar, and her great rival, Hay List.  And when I say 'most talked about currently racing', that takes into consideration that my other great favourite, and crowd favourite More Joyous is currently spelling, and the other darling of the turf, my pony Hot Danish, died last month, breaking too many hearts to count.  Talk is that Black Caviar may be trumped in the world rankings by the 3yo colt currently racing in England as Frankel.  But the champion mare is unbeaten, unsurpassed, and lining up to record her 13th victory from as many starts.  And opposing her, yet again, is the enormous gelding Hay List.

I have an interest in both of these horses.  Naturally partly because they are both such great racehorses.  But also because a valued client of mine, Eliza Park Stud, stands the sires of both horses, in Bel Esprit and Statue of Liberty.  The record from their 3 meetings currently reads Black Caviar 3, Hay List 0.  The mare has defeated Hay List (6th) by 11.4 lengths in the Group 1 Patinack Classic on 6 November 2010, 3.75 lengths (2nd) in the G1 Lightning Stakes on 19 February 2011, and most recently by 2.75 lengths (2nd) in the G1 TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on 9 April 2011.  Hay List was 5 lengths clear of the 3rd placed Hinchinbrook in the TJ.  He subsequently came out and thumped the field, by around 3 lengths, in the G1 All Aged Stakes over 1400m on 23 April. 

Both horses are due to meet again on Saturday 14th May at Doomben Racecourse in the G1 BTC Cup over 1200m.  Looking at the fields it is not usually the sort of meeting that you would haul yourself all those kilometres up for.  But the presence of Black Caviar, and as an added little bonus, Hay List, makes it all worthwhile.  If you look at the respective margins, perhaps Hay List is getting closer to the mare, but the way she's run past him each race makes this irrelevant.  I'm a purist, and while I like the big gelding, my heart now belongs to the mare, so, yet again, here's to Girl Power this weekend!


Hay List wins the All Aged Stakes
 



Hay List - 2011 All Aged Stakes
Hay List's connections after the All Aged Stakes
Glen Boss after unsaddling Hay List in the All Aged.


Hay List
 

Hay List and Glen Boss return to scale after winning the All Aged
Hay List - full of running in the TJ Smith.  Then in a blink of an eye, the mare was upon him.  And then 3 lengths clear.  Winning easing up.


Black Caviar - TJ Smith
Black Caviar after the TJ,


Black Caviar before the Lightning Stakes

Black Caviar.  The horse stalls and parade ring at Randwick have seldom attracted so many people.
 

Black Caviar on her way to the barrier before the Lightning Stakes
Remarkable - victory in the Lightning.  Hay List (far left) runs on gamely for second, lengths behind the mare)





Black Caviar - Newmarket Handicap.
 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Legacy of Eight Carat: From the Vault Volume I

Image
We have been back in lockdown here in Victoria. Lockdown 5.0 to be precise and as a result it made us go back to feeling like sad sacks.  After having seen off Lockdown 4.0 a teeny tiny bit triumphantly, where we saw off both Delta and Kappa variants (evil beasts that they are - curse you stinky COVID - curse you), we had literally only just gotten back to work before being very suddenly plunged back into Lockdown 5.0 after the visit of those very nice removalists.   'Thanks very much!!!!' we all shouted indignantly!!!!  A key difference with Lockdown 5.0 was that half the country also into lockdown at the same time which made us feel slightly less sad.  The Victorian Government doesn't muck about anymore when it comes to outbreaks.  Their reaction is swift and severe and not at all namby pamby.  I just wish the same logic would be applied to Sydney which continues to deteriorate, much to my dismay.  This week we took our first tentative steps out of ...
Read more

Vale Sadler's Wells - champion stallion dies in Ireland.

Image
One of the most important racehorses, and later stallions of our time, the great Sadler's Wells died in Ireland on the evening of Tuesday 26 April 2011.  He died at Coolmore's Tipperary Stud in Ireland, his home since his retirement in 1984.  The stallion was retired from breeding in 2008. His legacy worldwide is immense.  He has left sons and daughters,  and three of his stallion sons, in Galileo, Montjeu and High Chaparral, are leading stallions in the Northern Hemisphere.  In Australia, Galileo and Montjeu had less success, however the impact of High Chaparral was immediate, and immense.  While the horse still has to repeat the success he achieved with his New Zealand bred runners, from which the Group 1 winners, and champion So You Think, were conceived, High Chaparral is still leading the Australian General Sires Title with only a couple of months of racing left. In Europe, Montjeu and Galileo have both sired Epsom Derby winners, in Authorized and Ne...
Read more

The physical drain of riding horses

Image
Most people agree that the life of a jockey is a difficult one.  There are a handful that rise to the top, and do extremely well out of the Sport of Kings.  The vast majority however struggle with their weights, and do their best to avoid and/or overcome injury.  Anyone who has ever been pelted off a horse would know that it doesn't tickle!  And of course the older you get, the more it hurts!  We used to fang around on our ponies, bareback, in headstalls and leadropes, never wearing a riding hat.  Completely fearless, and I am sure that on the odd occasion I parted company with my horse, I used to bounce.  In fact I rarely used to fall off, unless the horse came down as well, I guess all those years of galloping around bareback meant my balance and ability to swing my body with the horse was pretty good.  I'd like to say that I could still ride the same, but age and the maturing mind catches up, and you start thinking of the consequences of 'what...
Read more