Unbeaten Australian sprinter Black Caviar will not be among the entries for the QIPCO Sussex Stakes (Eng-I) at Goodwood when the one-mile race closes at noon May 29.
The choice was made despite QIPCO increasing the prize money of the Sussex from £300,000 to £1 million if both Black Caviar and Frankel, the world’s two highest-rated horses and unbeaten in 31 outings between them, met in the Aug. 1 race.
Black Caviar, trained by Peter Moody in Australia, is due to come to England in early June and run at Royal Ascot. The 6-year-old mare is owned by a syndicate managed by Neil Werrett. She was bred in Victoria by Ric Jamieson.
“Moody Racing does not intend running Black Caviar at a mile in the Sussex Stakes, Frankel or no Frankel, as we are looking at getting her back to Melbourne for racing later in the year if she comes through Ascot as well as she can,” explained Jeff O’Connor of Moody Racing in a release.
“Therefore, we are not planning to nominate her for the Sussex Stakes at tomorrow’s nomination stage as we feel it would not be the right thing by the racing industry worldwide, giving false hope that the race may happen.
“We understand it would have been a great selling point for Glorious Goodwood and we appreciate the more than generous offer from QIPCO in getting the conditions of the race to where they are but we will have to decline on this occasion.”
Black Caviar’s British campaign needs to finish by mid-July, taking quarantine into account, if she is to return home in time to be prepared for the Spring Carnival in Melbourne.
Goodwood will announce the entries for the Sussex Stakes, won last year in tremendous style by Frankel, at noon May 30. The QIPCO Sussex Stakes is one of the 35 races which make up the 2012 QIPCO British Champions Series.
Adam Waterworth, managing director of Goodwood Racecourse, commented: “We are obviously disappointed that Black Caviar will not be entered in the QIPCO Sussex Stakes but fully understand her connections’ viewpoint.
“It was always going to be a long shot to have world’s top two horses race against each other because of their different distance requirements but we wanted to make sure we did everything we could to facilitate such a contest."
Black Caviar has been successful on all her 21 starts from five to seven furlongs.
Frankel, a 4-year-old colt trained by Sir Henry Cecil in Newmarket, owned by Khalid Abdulla, and ridden by Tom Queally, has won 10 of 10 races over seven furlongs and a mile.