Black Caviar returns to the track

Friday 1 February 2013, 3:20pm

Australia's world champion racehorse Black Caviar comes to Caulfield on Saturday for her first public appearance since the Queen patted her on the head at Royal Ascot eight months ago.

She'll walk to the racecourse from her stable, she'll stand in her usual stall and she'll gaze curiously at the crowd jostling for a look at her.

The saddle will go on half-an-hour before she's due to go onto the track and she'll walk around under the trees in the pre-parade ring.

She'll sense the excitement and she'll break out, as she usually does, in a light sweat.

So will her trainer.

Peter Moody knows what his horse doesn't - that Black Caviar is one of the very best thoroughbreds alive.

He knows all about the 22-from-22 record she has built and he admits the questioning fingers will be pointed at him if anything ever goes wrong.

Moody will probably find a rail to lean on as the big, brown mare trots onto the track, he'll light a smoke, push his hat back and wipe his forehead.

She'll bowl around under regular rider Luke Nolen and when she's finished Moody will survey her for any damage and maybe run his hand over her fetlocks and listen to her breathing.

She'll go for a hose down and then back home. He'll no doubt wish he was going with her.

Moody will then go through the bit he likes least. The questions.

The routine ones, the sensible ones and the inevitable silly ones.

He knows the drill and he puts up with it.

"It's a pain the arse," he says.

"But I'm glad it's my arse."

There will also be a thousand reminders at Caulfield of how much Black Caviar is adored and admired.

But there will be one example on Saturday that shows better than any other how far her fame has travelled.

Black Caviar's most devoted international fan Sally Lehnhardt arrived in Melbourne from California on Friday just to see the Caulfield gallop. She will return to the US on Sunday.

Lehnhardt has come to Australia before to watch Black Caviar race, she went to Royal Ascot to see her and will return to Melbourne for her comeback run in the Lightning Stakes in two weeks.

"If you love racing and you have the chance to see a horse as good as this, you take it," Lehnhardt said.

As Moody has said: "This has gone beyond believability."

– AAP

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