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It was an extraordinary feat once again from the ‘wonder mare’ Black Caviar to run a fraction outside of the track record!
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Story and Photos courtesy of Graham Potter and www.horseracingonly.com.au
By Robert Heathcote | Thursday, February 23, 2012
Robert Heathcote is the leading racehorse trainer in Brisbane. 'Rob's Shout' - the personal blog of the multi-premiership winning trainer will appear every Thursday on HRO.
Hello again,
I guess if you had said to me on Saturday morning that Buffering would be clocked to run the Lightning Stakes in 56.07, I would have had a confident glow about me the entire day … bearing in mind that time would have won the previous eighteen of twenty runnings of the famed Group 1 Sprint.
In fact the time equaled Testa Rossa’s time when he won the Lightning in 2000 and only Schillaci has gone quicker when he ran the five furlongs in the sizzling time of 55.9 back in 1992.
It was an extraordinary feat once again from the ‘wonder mare’ Black Caviar to run a fraction outside of the track record! It left many seasoned race goers in awe especially when it became known she had run a sectional between the 600 and the 400 in a mind blowing 9.98 seconds.
It was this sectional which helped her assert her supremacy but, for a couple of strides there, it looked like the darling of the turf may have been in trouble with the hulking Hay List probably running the race of his life.
A huge amount of credit must go to John McNair for turning Hay List out in excellent order. He looked fantastic when he walked into the enclosure and it was quite clear that he was ready to rumble.
Mind you, I still thought my bloke, Buffering looked a treat and, as unlucky as Hay List has been to bump into the wonder mare and chase her home for four Group 1 seconds, my little bulldog has now ran second or third to the two sprinting champs on 3 occasions.
Conceivably he could have been a three-time Group 1 winner, but as Michael Rodd said after the race when interviewed, he just keeps bumping into these good ones.
I'm sure there's a Group I win for him somewhere. He's just so honest.
It was once again a day of great theatre in as impressive a venue that Flemington is. I am usually there on Derby Day or Cup day so it was a real
pleasure to be there with only 23 000 (the official figure) in attendance.
The sporting capitol of the world … but even the locals may becoming blase` about the Black Caviar procession!
Great facilities and a high level of comfort and enjoyment! That’s what a day at the races is all about … or should be anyway!
Perhaps this might well end up being Black Caviar’s final race in Australia but, after the left turn into the Lightning, I won’t even begin to speculate where she may well go!
Personally I think the sooner she gets onto a plane the better … just kidding … but the fact is we know we simply cannot beat her!
