The Greatest Sprinter The World Has and Will Ever See

The Greatest- VALE A TRUE LEGEND

 

With the Recent loss of arguably Australias greatest ever sprinter in Black Caviar  one thing that always left me perplexed was just how little credit she got when compared to the mighty Winx- yes both horses where freaks but if im putting together a Noahs Ark of selecting only 1 horse then it has to be Black Caviar. We have seen some amazing horses over the last 30 years but for mine Black Caviar is the champion or champions and deserves to be recognised as such .


If we Compare Black Caviar and Winx, two of Australia's most iconic racehorses, I think for the layperson recency bias will kick in and they will say Winx was the best but whilst everyone is entitled to their opinion ( at least at the time of writing 😊 ) there is no doubt that Black Caviar was the superior horse in terms of facts and overall ratings that I personally do .No question both horses have left an indelible mark on the world of horse racing. However, several factors suggest that Black Caviar  should be considered the superior racehorse when looking at their careers in a particular light. These factors include

  • her unbeaten record,
  • her dominance over shorter distances,
  • her international success,
  • and the broader context of her victories over a deeper pool of opposition – (how could be forget the great Hay List who in any other generation would have been a champion .


First and foremost, Black Caviar's unbeaten record sets her apart. Throughout her career, she raced 25 times and never tasted defeat. This flawless record is rare in the world of horse racing btu when you consider she raced 25 times and had to race some high class horses then its truly remarkable , perhaps my favourite horse of all time is the great sunline and even she had to taste defeat racing in a stellar generation against the likes of Northerly, and co. The consistency and reliability that Black Caviar displayed each time she stepped onto the track were extraordinary- especially when you consider her size and constant “niggles” that where so well handled by her Team, and this level of perfection arguably elevates her above Winx, who, while incredibly successful, did lose on three occasions early in her career and it must be said got the luxury of racing a very “steady” bunch of horses during her reign- often times when most of the opposition where out and out stayers resuming.


Black Caviar's dominance in sprint races also contributes to her legacy. She specialized in races between 1,000 and 1,400 meters, where she was unbeatable. Her extraordinary speed and power in these shorter distances were unmatched, and she set a new standard for sprinters around the world- in almost all her races – she was nearly really asked to find top gear such was her dominance – despite this some of the ratings she produced where ELITE WORLD CLASS Efforts. While Winx excelled over middle distances, particularly in races from 1,600 to 2,200 meters, Black Caviar's sprinting prowess is often considered the epitome of excellence in this category.

Another factor in Black Caviar's favour is her international success. In 2012, who can forget when she travelled to the United Kingdom to compete in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, one of the most prestigious racing events in the world. Despite suffering a muscle injury during the race and a jockey brain fade,  Black Caviar managed to win – beating a very good field at the time, showcasing her grit and determination on an international stage. This victory not only demonstrated her ability to compete against the best horses in the world and solidified her ranking as the worlds best horse  but also highlighted her versatility and resilience, traits that further bolster her claim to being the better racehorse.


In contrast, Winx, while an exceptional racehorse with 33 consecutive wins and a record four Cox Plates, primarily raced in Australia. Although she consistently defeated high-quality fields and set records that may stand for decades, she never raced internationally. Some may argue that this lack of international competition slightly diminishes her legacy compared to Black Caviar, who proved her mettle on a global stage.

Lastly, the broader context of Black Caviar's victories adds to her status. She raced during a time when sprinting races were highly competitive, and the level of opposition she faced was consistently strong. Despite this, she dominated every race she entered, often winning by significant margins in efforts that where full of Awe and WOW. The ability to maintain an unbeaten streak in such a competitive environment further underscores her greatness and is a significant reason why many consider her the superior racehorse when compared to Winx.


In conclusion, while both Black Caviar and Winx are legends in their own right, Black Caviar's unbeaten record, her dominance in sprinting,her overall ratings she was able to produce when not fully asked,  her international success, and the challenging competition she faced all contribute to the argument that she was the better racehorse and our greatest sprinter EVER. Each horse's achievements are remarkable, but Black Caviar's unique combination of attributes sets her apart in the annals of horse racing history and for me she will always be the benchmark for sprinters

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Luke Murrell
August 20, 2024

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By Laurence Schuberth September 14, 2025
Australian Bloodstock have a knack of buying high-class European imports and they look to have another brilliant one on their hands in the shape of the Joseph O’Brien-trained Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett), who advertised his Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) potential with an ultra-dominant performance in the Irish St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6f) at the Curragh on Sunday. Australian Bloodstock purchased the dual Group 1-winning son of Coolmore’s star shuttler Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) at the end of last month with the Flemington showpiece on the first Tuesday in November in mind and he more than justified their faith with an imperious display in the final Classic of the European season. Winning rider Dylan Browne McMonagle was recording his first Classic win with this success, and his mount moved powerfully through the pack from off the pace before sprinting four lengths clear of King Edward VII Stakes (Gr 2, 1m 4f) winner Amiloc (Postponed) to end the three-year-old’s unbeaten run. Al Qareem (Awtaad) was third, another four and a quarter lengths off the pace. Bookmakers in Europe responded by slashing Al Riffa’s price for the Melbourne Cup to 6-1 favourite ($7) from 12-1 ($13). O’Brien said: “We knew the guys that were guaranteed stayers were going to try to expose the stamina of those that weren’t, and the pace was really strong. “Dylan was cool on the horse and confident. He’s been a great horse for us, he always turns up and runs his race and I’m delighted for the ownership group. “It was a gruelling race, but we’ll freshen him up and hopefully get him to the Melbourne Cup. “He’s two for two now since he’s gone up in trip and he has the right attributes. He settles well, he has a turn of foot, and he stays. Hopefully we have a smooth preparation.” Lovett added: “He was perfectly prepared by Joseph and his team, and we’re delighted to be a part of it. “He wasn’t a hard horse to identify when he went out to 2800 metres last time. That convinced us that he might be the horse to try to win the Melbourne Cup. “He’ll need to carry weight because they won’t miss him, but I feel sure he’s the right horse to do that. “Joseph knows how to win the race, and we have four Melbourne Cups between us.” Australian Bloodstock have a proven track record with northern hemisphere imports, highlighted by their 2022 Melbourne Cup triumph with fellow French-bred Gold Trip (Outstrip), while they tasted success in the Flemington showpiece for the first time in 2014 with Protectionist (Monsun), who was bred in Germany. This year Australian Bloodstock will likely also be represented in the race by last year’s favourite Vauban (Galiway), who they purchased last year and relocated him from Willie Mullins to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Jamie Lovett, director of Australian Bloodstock, confirmed to ANZ News last month that the horse will stay in training with O’Brien and, while the Melbourne Cup is the entire’s main aim, he could also venture on an international campaign which could include both Dubai and Hong Kong. Before Sunday, Al Riffa had tasted elite-level success on two previous occasions, his first coming in the National Stakes (Gr 1, 7f) as a two-year-old, while he also took out last year’s Grosser Preis von Berlin (Gr 1, 2400m) in Germany. Bred by Sarl De Chambure Haras D’Etreham Et Al in France, Al Riffa is the third foal out of the unraced Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare Love On My Mind, herself a sister to Group 3 winner and Ascot Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2m 4f) second Mizzou. Like the owners, O’Brien will be aiming to win the Melbourne Cup for a third time, having won it first with Rekindling (High Chaparral) in 2017, before Twilight Payment (Teofilo) handed the trainer a second victory in the Group 1 in 2020. Al Riffa is still entire so could follow in the footsteps of Gold Trip who now stands at Lovatsville in Victoria for a fee of $8,800 (inc GST).
By Laurence Schuberth August 29, 2025
European stayer Al Riffa will attempt to give Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien a third win in the Melbourne Cup having been purchased by Australian Bloodstock. But Al Riffa will not remain in Australia post the Melbourne Cup and will chase lucrative prize money targets on the world stage. Al Riffa has been purchased by Australian Bloodstock with the express view of winning this year’s Melbourne Cup after which he will travel to Hong Kong for the International meeting in December and to the Dubai World Cup meeting in March. Jamie Lovett of Australian Bloodstock said Al Riffa would remain in the care of O’Brien who has previously won the Melbourne Cup with Rekindling in 2017 and Twilight Payment in 2020. Lovett said Al Riffa would run in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on September 14 and form part of the second shipment of horses into Melbourne for the Spring Carnival . Al Riffa attracted the attention of Australian Bloodstock after his victory in the Group 2 Curragh Cup on July 19. “He’s the obvious horse, for the want of a better term,” Lovett told SEN. “We weren’t the only ones that would have identified him and like a lot of these horses, it’s a process. “He’s been a horse with a good profile and after his last win, his first time over a mile-and-a-half, he had a flashing light, and the two miles should be no problem for him. “Talking to Joseph O’Brien, he will have one more run in the traditional path in the Irish St Leger on the weekend of September 14 and with the Ballydoyle arrangement he can quarantine in Ireland.” Lovett said the new ownership group of Al Riffa is worldwide, adding they not only wanted a horse to run in the Melbourne Cup, but to win the race. “The majority of the horse is actually owned by some expats in Europe and Dubai,” Lovett said. “It’s good knowing you can go in boots and all knowing you have that support, and some Australian-based owners that have come into the horse as well.  “From our point of view, it gives the owners the opportunity to travel abroad with him. There is the opportunity to go onto Hong Kong and then hopefully onto the Dubai World Cup meeting. “We’ll make arrangements for him to stay in Melbourne post the Melbourne Cup Carnival and then make his way up to Hong Kong in December.”
By Laurence Schuberth August 28, 2025
Melbourne Cup (G1)-winning syndicators Australian Bloodstock have purchased dual group 1 winner Al Riffa . The talented son of Wootton Bassett , who dominantly scored a five-length romp in the Curragh Cup (G2) July 19, will remain in training in Ireland with Joseph O'Brien and be aimed at the Melbourne Cup, a race the trainer has won twice before with Twilight Payment in 2020 and Rekindling in 2017. While Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett stressed the group 1 on the first Tuesday in November is the main target for the 5-year-old, the horse could also venture on an international campaign, which could include both Dubai and Hong Kong. "We wanted a horse that could come down and not just be competitive, but be good enough to win a Melbourne Cup," Lovett told ANZ News. "So the fact that (his last start win) was his first time beyond a mile and a half at the Curragh last start, so he has clearly ticked that box, he couldn't have been more impressive. He's staying with Joseph and will likely head to Hong Kong and hopefully on to World Cup night in Dubai. That was a big tick for our owners because that was the brief—to find us a horse that we could travel abroad with." Lovett confirmed Al Riffa—whose two group 1 wins have come in the 2022 National Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old and the 2024 Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1)—will be given one final European run before his journey south for the Cup Nov. 4. "It's my understanding talking to Joseph, he'll run in the Irish St Leger mid-September, and that'll be his last run and then he'll quarantine at Ballydoyle before coming down into Victoria." Australian Bloodstock has a proven track record with Northern Hemisphere imports, highlighted by their 2022 Melbourne Cup triumph with French-bred Gold Trip , while they tasted success in the Flemington showpiece for the first time in 2014 with Protectionist, another bred in Europe. This year, they will also be represented in the race by last year's favorite Vauban , who they purchased last year, and Lovett believes Al Riffa fits their criteria. "There's obviously plenty of filters, and historically buying horses at the top of the weights for a big handicap can be flawed. But I think Gold Trip taught me that class carries you a long way and this horse is obviously a very, very good horse. "He is a group 1 winner in Germany, but more importantly, he has form behind Rebel's Romance. In my mind, I don't think we've found the ceiling with this horse. I think Joseph made a similar comment that he's still a horse on the up; he's not heavily taxed. "He's only had 14 starts, and I just feel he was the right horse for the brief that we had to go and purchase. There's a few local owners coming into the horse, but the majority of the horse was purchased by European clients and some clients in Dubai." Al Riffa is the third foal out of the unraced Galileo mare Love On My Mind, herself a sister to group 3 winner and 2016 Ascot Gold Cup (G1) second Mizzou. 
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