Yesterday at Moonee Valley they ran a little race called the WS Cox Plate.  It's not a terribly important race.  It's only normally won by the very best horse racing in the country at the time it is held in late October.  There are the odd exceptions to this rule, when a horse that you can't say is an outstanding champion wins it.  Ok, so I'm being a little bit tongue in cheek.  To me, the Cox Plate is the be all and the end all of Australian Racing, the pinnacle of the turf calendar.  And because of this, the purist in me can at times feel slightly disappointed when a horse who is perhaps not of the calibre of a Kingston Town, Sunline, So You Think, Northerly, Phar Lap or Tulloch walks away with their name against the trophy.  Having said that, you often cannot tell what a horse will go on to achieve at the time you might take a photograph of them winning a race.  For example, I first photographed Sunline winning the Furious Stakes...

In this house we call her the Famous Pony.  To the Moody family and staff, she's Nelly.  To the Clarke's, at Murchison, she's "The Princess".  Black Caviar has many titles.  Fastest and best racehorse in the world. Unbeaten superstar.  Queen of the Turf.  And contrary to what some believe, she's got a soft side.  She nuzzles up for treats.  Lets you kiss her eyelids, and rub her ears.  And eagerly looks for more offerings.  Her fame is such that the green grocer that my sister uses in North Fitzroy, refused to charge us for her tidbits once he heard that they were being bought for the great mare.  Moody is generous in giving me access to his Nelly.  For that I am forever grateful.  And last week, his generosity extended to letting me take my two children to see her.  There's no need for words to describe their joy and wonder.  Just gaze upon the images of this truly wonderful racehorse, and see for yourself....

We were back at Caulfield today.  And yes, I did go to trackwork at Moonee Valley this morning and therefore have images of Helmet, Americain, etc, to process and post, but someone, it all seems to be about one Pony this spring..... In good company...  The famed Pinkie meets Black Caviar...  And works her magic again!

 Saturday 8 October 2011.  Caulfield Racecourse.  The occasion?  The 2011 Caulfield Cup Carnival, and Caulfield Guineas Day.  Or, perhaps a better name for the day should be Black Caviar's Return Day.  There has been a long build up to the Famous Pony's racetrack return.  She hadn't raced since winning the G1 BTC Cup at Doomben Racecourse on 14 May.  The media hype and public interest in her has increased, and must now be described as being at fever pitch.   Personally, I've been counting down the sleeps, and been restless and impatient as the months and then weeks passed.  And this despite the fact that I've been fortunate enough to have a couple of private sessions with the Pony at both Eagle Farm and Murchison.  Somehow though, when it comes to Black Caviar it is never enough, and the quest for the perfect image continues to hound me. As I've often said, I love being in Melbourne, and feel like I come back alive w...