World champion Black Caviar bolted away with her second Lightning Stakes (1,000m) at Flemington, scoring the 19th win of her unconquered career. The victory was Black Caviar's ninth at Group One level and equals the Australasian record for consecutive wins set by Gloaming (1919-21) and Desert Gold (1915-17). The chips were down on Saturday as her great rival Hay List threw down the gauntlet and looked a danger inside the final 400 metres. For a fleeting moment some dared to ponder the unthinkable, but jockey Luke Nolen asked Black Caviar ($1.10 favourite) for the supreme effort and she edged away to score by 1-3/4 lengths in a blistering 55.53 seconds.
Hay List ($12) was 1-3/4 lengths behind in second, while Buffering ($71) was a further two lengths away in third.
"Hay List had me worried there for a couple of strides ... I've just got to take my hat off to that mare. She's bloody wonderful," an emotional Nolen said after returning to scale.
"She touched me today. She's probably been a bit of a protected species because of the way she goes about winning her races, but it was great to see that when the chips were down how much courage she had.
"Champions just continue to do it, don't they?"
The tough run was more than what trainer Peter Moody had hoped for with a view to backing up Black Caviar in next week's Futurity Stakes (1,400m).
The pre-race plan was to not let her rivals dictate and Nolen had Black Caviar right on the speed set by Hay List and Buffering.
And when the heat went on the champ reeled off her final 600 metres in a freakish 31.78 seconds, with 200m sectionals of 10.21, 9.98 and 10.40.
"We had the best horse in the race and we were going to dominate them and Luke rode her accordingly," Moody said.
"It certainly wasn't her most dominant win but it's probably the closest she's been to a course record and she was pushed by a great horse.
"She's just a champion."
Such was the ease of Black Caviar's win in last Saturday's Orr Stakes that Moody asked his mare to back up within a week - making an unorthodox drop from 1,400m to the straight 1,000m.
And while racegoers have been spoiled by Black Caviar in the past fortnight, a third race in as many weeks seems unlikely.
"I can pretty much say that she won't be there next week," Moody said. "For her to be there next Saturday she probably had to have it softer today.
"We'll let the dust settle and now it's a matter of determining probably whether if she goes to Dubai she's probably run her last race in Australia this prep.
"If she doesn't go to Dubai, then we'll look at what option leads us into Ascot."
If the rich Golden Shaheen (1,200m) on Dubai World Cup night is the option, Black Caviar will forgo the chance to win a record 20th victory in Australia.
"I'd love to see it and there is some possibility that won't take place now, but we've never let our heart get in the way of where she should be going," Moody said.
