Black Caviar Will Miss Doomben 10000

After a high-profile score in the 2011 BTC Cup at Doomben last weekend, the world-class turf sprinter Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) has been sent to the sidelines for a freshening and will not run in the Doomben 10000. It should come as welcome relief to the rest of the Australian turf sprint division who have been getting taken to the woodpile time and again as Black Caviar continues to pad her undefeated streak – pushing it to a full 13/13.

Hay List (Statue of Liberty) and Crystal Lily (Stratum) have been getting the worst of it, with both them coming in as runner-up over the past few forays on the track against Peter Moody's world-beater.

Skipping the Doomben 10000 likely confirms what many racing observers have been speculating about in reference to Black Caviar's future plans. A November/December campaign throughout the high-purse sprint contests in Hong Kong and Japan would add money to the lifetime total as well as credibility to her claims as the best in the world.

Currently carrying an official rating rivalled only by Frankel (Galileo), Black Caviar ranks amongst the best anywhere and she seems to be continuing this fantastic tradition of top-class females who regularly take on the boys and win. Between her, Goldikova (Anabaa) and the now-retired Zenyata (Street Cry); females are dominating male horses at the highest level in virtually every distance aside from staying contests.

Black Caviar is treading dangerously close to Phar Lap territory as one more victory would see her match his incredible record and she will soon be looking for her seventh Group 1 score on the bounce this season. One more would see her match the all-time record for an Australian-bred competing at Group 1 level.

It is likely that Hay List will be going off as the outright betting favourite in the 2011 Doomben 10000 and he can expect many of the usual suspects to line up in this one – eager for an additional slot on the board up for grabs now that Black Caviar will be skipping this one.

There are still a number of observers who are quietly confident that Black Caviar could be set for a trip to Churchill Downs in November prior to her Asian campaign to attempt to pick off the high-profile score in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint which carries a multimillion dollar purse. As it currently stands, the betting favourite for that one looks to be South African sprinter JJ The Jet Plane (Jet Master) who conquered the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan on the Dubai World Cup undercard and effectively disposed of the southern hemisphere's best short-distance horses.

A potentially mouthwatering clash could be set to unfold if Black Caviar ships to Churchill for the November fixture but there is also a chance the two could contest the Hong Kong Sprint with JJ The Jet Plane expected to return to Sha Tin to defend the title he won last season when sent off at a price of nearly 18/1.

Right now, Black Caviar looks to be going on the shelf for the time-being, but whoever gets the ante post puzzle right in the next few months could be looking at a dynamite price on one of the best contenders on the planet.