Black Caviar Electrifying in 24th Career Win

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Photo: Mark Gatt

Black Caviar rolls home to win number 24 in the Hacer Group William Reid Stakes.

Undefeated Black Caviar easily tallied victory number 24 in the AUS$400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (Aus-I) March 22 at Moonee Valley and joined the mighty Kingston Town in the history books with a record-tying 14th top-level win in Australia.

The sensational Bel Esprit mare settled in third off a solid early pace set by stablemate Karuta Queen and was ready to pounce when Luke Nolen gave her a slight tap turning for home. She effortlessly powered past Karuta Queen with ground-gobbling strides and drew off to a four-length win as the overwhelming favorite.

Black Caviar entered off a stunning track-record win in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Aus-I) Feb. 16 at Flemington in her comeback from a long layoff. She was no less electrifying to a sellout crowd on hand for the William Reid, as nearly 25,000 packed shoulder to shoulder gasped in awe when she uncoiled her winning move.

"She put on a wonderful show," trainer Peter Moody told News Limited Network. "She's going super; it's scary how well she's going. Just the way she let down and quickened. What do you say. I'm lost for words."

Black Caviar was timed in 1:11.08 for 1,200 meters (about six furlongs) to add a second William Reid to her record after capturing the event in 2011.

Karuta Queen outfinished Fawkner by 4 1/2 lengths for second in the seven-horse field that also included former Hong Kong Horse of the Year Good Ba Ba, who finished last.

Black Caviar's next target is the $1 million T. J. Smith (Aus-I) April 13 at Randwick. A return trip to England, where she was nearly beaten by Moonlight Cloud at Royal Ascot last year, was not ruled out.

The T. J. Smith is named in honor of the legendary trainer who conditioned Kingston Town, a Bletchingly gelding who is one of Australia's greatest racehorses. His record 14 Australian group I wins was set in the early 1980s. Overall, he posted  30 wins, including an unprecedented three straight W. S. Cox Plates (Aus-I), five seconds, and two thirds from 41 career starts.  "The King" was euthanized at age 14 in 1991 following a paddock accident. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001. 

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