Tuesday, 3 July 2012: The race is on between Australia's major race clubs to be the first to run a feature race honouring champion mare Black Caviar.
 | Black Caviar
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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The Melbourne Racing Club at Caulfield, Flemington's Victoria Racing Club and the South Australian Jockey Club at Morphettville are the leading contenders hoping to secure approval for a Group race honouring Black Caviar.
Moonee Valley Racing Club in Melbourne, the Australian Turf Club in Sydney, Brisbane Racing Club - and even Royal Ascot in the UK - are other clubs who could justifiably seek to honour the mighty mare as she has also recorded Group One wins on their courses.
Any Australian race club wanting to stage a Group race carrying Black Caviar's name must seek the approval of the Australian Racing Board's Pattern Race Committee that governs black type racing in Australia.
Once granted no other club would be unlikely to gain approval to run a Group race carrying Black Caviar's name although there are instances of feature race names being replicated, such as the G1 events in honour of the late TJ Smith in Sydney and Brisbane.
Any application to use Black Caviar's name is unlikely to receive approval from the ARB until the mare is officially retired, which means there is likely to be some intense lobbying before a decision is handed down.
Melbourne Racing Club is regarded as the favourite to stage a feature Group race honouring Black Caviar as Caulfield is her home track and an application would undoubtedly carry the support of her trainer Peter Moody.
The Victoria Racing Club will also mount a strong case for Flemington to be granted the honour as it is the track where Black Caviar has recorded more wins (7) than any other course. They include five G1 victories compared to just one major among four wins by the mare at Caulfield.
However the SAJC in Adelaide is keen to secure Black Caviar's name for one of the two Group One races she won when she raced at Morphettville in April and May prior to her recent trip to the UK.
The SAJC is preparing to lodge an application to the ARB with the support of the SA Government for a name change for either the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes or the G1 Goodwood.
"It's been discussed at our Board level and it's on the agenda for the next one," said SAJC chief executive Brenton Wilkinson.
"The feeling of the Board is the Robert Sangster would be the race to have a name change as it's for fillies and mares.
"But it could be that the Goodwood, which is only named after a place in England, could be the better option."
Corporate bookmakers have framed a market for the first track to run the "Black Caviar Stakes".
Caulfield is the hot favourite at $1.50 despite her limited appearances at her home course.
Flemington is second favourite at $3 with Moonee Valley, where Black Caviar has won six times including one Group One win, at $6.
Morphettville is at $17 while Royal Ascot meeting is rated a $51 chance as royal tradition would prevent any of the races over the five-day meeting being renamed after an Australian racehorse.
However that does not preclude Ascot from staging a race in honour of Black Caviar at another time during the season without any official Australian approval apart from a respectful request to her owners.
Black Caviar has never raced at the Melbourne Racing Club's s other course at Sandown but that track is surprisingly quoted at $13 with Randwick and Doomben at $31.
Black Caviar's 22 wins have been recorded at Flemington (7), Moonee Valley (6), Caulfield (4), Morphettville (2), Randwick (1) Doomben (1) and Ascot (1).
The venues of her 12 G1 wins are (in order):- Patinack Farm Classic (Flemington); Lightning Stakes (Flemington); Newmarket Handicap (Flemington); William Reid Stakes (Moonee Valley); TJ Smith Stakes (Randwick); BTC Cup (Doomben); Patinack Farm Classic (Flemington); C.F. Orr Stakes (Caulfield); Lightning Stakes (Flemington); Robert Sangster Stakes (Morphettville); The Goodwood (Morphettville) and Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Royal Ascot).
