Australian superstar Black Caviar has died at the age of 18. The mare, winner of all 25 of her career starts, was humanely euthanized at an equine hospital in New South Wales Aug. 17, shortly after giving foal to a Snitzel colt.
Trained by Peter Moody to win 15 Group 1s, the daughter of Bel Esprit most notably made a successful foray to Royal Ascot in 2012 when landing the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1) in front of Queen Elizabeth II. Black Caviar was crowned the European champion sprinter the same year as her victory at the royal meeting.
She won in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide and was also ranked the World’s Best Racehorse in 2013, won numerous champion sprinter titles and was Australian Racehorse of the Year.
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Black Caviar amassed about $6 million in earnings before her retirement from the track in April 2013. She went on to undertake broodmare duties and died after a short battle with laminitis, the inflammation of the sensitive tissue known as laminae in a horse’s hoof.
Moody was at Caulfield when he received the news about his former stable star and said: “She had a milk infection about a week ago and we just treated it like you do with all broodmares. But, like a lot of treatments, it went straight to her feet.
“Basically, it killed her feet. She had the foal this morning, a colt foal by Snitzel, and they put her down shortly after that on humane grounds.
“They scanned her feet yesterday and there was no blood flow at all to her feet. There was minimum blood flow to her feet anyhow, but there was none and she’s such a big girl.”
Black Caviar captured the imagination of the Australian public, demonstrated when thousands gathered to watch her Royal Ascot win at Federation Square in Melbourne—a venue normally used for people to watch the Socceroos at the World Cup—shortly before midnight.
“You don’t think it affects you,” Moody added. “But you are being stupid not to think it doesn’t. It’s impossible not to get attached to most animals let alone one like her. I sat in the car and cried for an hour. I rang all the staff and told them. They were all very upset.”
Bought for approximately $197,337 as a yearling at the Melbourne Premier Sales, Black Caviar made a successful debut under Jarrad Noske in a 2-year-old handicap at Flemington in April 2009 before landing the Sapphire Stakes the following month.
Black Caviar would then be partnered by Luke Nolen for much of her remaining starts, with the exception of the first of her two Patinack Farm Classic (G1) successes in 2010, when she was ridden by Ben Melham.
Nolen said he had a “hollow feeling” from her death.
“She was an integral part of my career but, more importantly, she was so important for racing itself. She was one of our equine heroes,” he continued. “It was great to be a part of her story, but I always felt a bit guilty because anyone could’ve done the job.”
A statement posted on X on behalf of the Madden, Hawkes, Wilkie, Taylor, and Werrett families who owned Black Caviar said they were devastated by her loss.
On the significance of Black Caviar to the Australian public, Neil Wilson, Victoria Racing Club chairman, said: “Black Caviar was more than a champion racehorse, she was an important part of life for many people.”
