Here's an interesting little twist.  This Saturday, my Nelly (aka Black Caviar, or my Pony) is due to back up and tackle the G1 Lightning Stakes at WFA over 1000m.  And, in addition to the mighty champion facing the starter in the Lightning Stakes, there is a colt who will race for the very first time in race 1, the Talindert Stakes for 2yos.  I photographed this colt on 6 April 2011, when he sold for $1.05m at the 2011 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.   He is by Casino Prince (a son of one of 'my boys' Flying Spur, who stands at Arrowfield Stud) out of Helsinge.  His name is All Too Hard, and those who know a little bit about breeding will instantly recognise him as being a half brother to Black Caviar..  There is still a chance that I will arrive at Melbourne airport early Saturday morning and hear news that Moody has scratched Nelly on race morning.  But having these 2 horses race, and hopefully win, on the same program is a mouth watering pro...

I'm looking back through my racebook at the horses who have won the G1 CF Orr Stakes, a Weight for Age race over 1400m.  The winner's list reads a little bit like a Who's Who of the Australian Turf.  Past winners include Lord (twice), Wenona girl, Tobin Bronze (shame, they spelt his name incorrectly in the racebook!), Leilani, Surround, Manikato (3 times!!!), Vo Rogue (also 3 times), Let's Elope, Saintly, Redoute's Choice and Lonhro.  And we can now add the name Black Caviar, or Nelly, or my Famous Pony, to this list. It was Black Caviar's first attempt at a distance longer than 1200m.  She was 2nd up, and attempting to extend her unbeaten sequence to 18, which would see her draw level with Ajax, and have her 1 win short of USA champion Zenyatta, and Australian horse Gloaming who raced in the 1920s.  I get stupidly nervous before every single race, and Saturday was no different.  But as usual, the Pony didn't let anyone down.  She was just as expl...

I will kick off today with a piece, and some images, that are NOT of that Famous Pony, as I fear it is possible that people may begin to suspect that Black Caviar is the only horse I ever photograph!  Of course there are fresh images of her to follow, but I will begin with the supporting races from CF Orr Stakes Day on Saturday 11 February 2012. The CF Orr Stakes is a race meeting that I would photograph around 50% of the time.  It's not a meeting that I attend year in and year out, like Melbourne Cup Day, Cox Plate Day, Caulfield Guineas Day and Blue Diamond Stakes Day, but it is an important enough meeting for me to keep on my radar should certain important horses be likely to target it. The other interesting aspect for me, from a work perspective, is that two of the supporting races are the Blue Diamond Preludes, for the 2 year olds headed for the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, with one race for Colts and Geldings, and another for the Fillies. Because my work...