Black Caviar extends unbeaten streak to 19 races

Black Caviar extended her unbeaten streak to 19 races in Saturday’s $802,000 Lightning Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in Australia, a race that could have been her last in that country for several months.

The partnership that owns Black Caviar and trainer Peter Moody have a start at Royal Ascot in June as a long-range goal for Black Caviar, who is also being considered for a race in Dubai on the Dubai World Cup program on March 31. Whether she starts again in Australia in coming weeks has yet to be decided.

Black Caviar’s win in the Lightning Stakes equaled the Australian record for consecutive wins on a major circuit, although two horses that raced at provincial tracks in that country had 22-race winning streaks.

In the Group 1 Lightning Stakes, Black Caviar returned to racing a week after winning the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes over seven furlongs at Caulfield. Sent off at 1-10 and ridden by Luke Nolen, Black Caviar was a close second to Hay List for the first half of the race over five furlongs, took the lead with two furlongs remaining and won by 1 3/4 lengths without being fully extended.

“We always had the plan not to let them get too far away,” Moody said. “We weren’t going to be dictated to. We had the best horse in the race. Luke rode her accordingly.”

Hay List held second, the fourth time he has been runner-up to Black Caviar in his career. Buffering, a 70-1 shot, finished third in the field of nine.