Champion Horse on New Australian stamp

 

Date of Issue : 10 May 2013

During The World Stamp Expo 2013 (10 – 15 May), Australia Post released a commemorative stamp to celebrate the 25th consecutive win and retirement of champion Australian racehorse Black Caviar.

The six-year-old mare, Black Caviar, leaves an extraordinary legacy of 25 wins from 25 starts, including 15 Australian Group 1 victories. Her consecutive wins constitute a world record for horses of the modern age competing at the elite level.

She first showed promise as a two and three-year-old with five wins from five starts. As a four-year-old her career blossomed when she faced her first Group 1 challenge in what was described as “an astonishing demolition job”. On 28 April 2012, she established a new Australian record of 20 consecutive wins when she took out the Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide.

In June 2012, Black Caviar journeyed overseas to compete in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Australians watching the race held their breath when, after taking the lead with some 200 metres to go, jockey Luke Nolen eased her back enabling second running horse Moonlight Cloud to momentarily draw level. In the final strides before the line Black Caviar surged forward to win by a head and examination would reveal that she had incurred injuries during the race.

Black Caviar returned to the track in 2013 with wins in the Lightning Stakes, William Reid Stakes and the T.J. Smith Stakes. Her connections announced her retirement from racing on 17 April 2013.