Black Caviar..  Famously famous.  Smashing the track record in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.  It was great theatre. I know I'm not the only one who wondered if we'd ever see this GREAT racehorse appear on a racetrack again.  Overseas travel is fraught with danger.  For all the accolades heaped upon recently retired English star Frankel, it should be remembered that the furthest this horse ever travelled was about 200km from his base.   Black Caviar could never be accused of not running the gauntlet, or hiding from the opposition, or being a meat pie champion.  She's carried weight to win, she's travelled not only all over Australia, winning right and left handed, but she also travelled half way around the world, and won at Royal Ascot.  While injured. So to see her back at the track was a special thing.  I've of course been lucky, and have spent a number of moments getting close to the Famous Pony, in the proce...

It was all very stealthy, and somewhat surreal to be the only photographer in the immediate area when Black Caviar is on track.  But the great mare was there, at Sandown's unofficial trials, and showed, like I have been suggesting, that she is looking better than ever in preparation for her return to racing next month.  I'm not used to not seeing a single journalist, TV camera, or others photographers within sight.  It was fairly secretive. I'm glad I was there..  It was good to see you again Pony, even if it's only been a few weeks since I saw you last.  You always make things feel ok.

Today I will again commence with a quote, and yes, yet again, it was written by my friend, the very great writer, Les Carlyon. " that cliche they call the romance of the turf.  This is the fine threat.  This romance, this pursuit of dreams, is what makes the turf special.  If you like gambling, there are poker machines.  If you like speed contests, late-night television is frequently a snarl of Formula One fury. The turf is more than these things.  There must, for instance, be a romance, or at least some strange force, which propels otherwise intelligent people out of bed two hours before dawn to work four horses, all of them fundamentally flawed, such flaws ranging from the inability to out-run a fat man to four bad legs, a soft palate, and a tendency to bleed easily. The ultimate tease, you see, is this:  on he turf in Australia, and unlike quests for fountains of youth and haily grails, the dreams do sometimes come true". Les Carlyon.  August 1988. ...