High hopes as second Black Caviar foal steps out

ONE gilt-edged door closes and another opens for the Black Caviar family with the great sprinter’s second foal stepping out for the first time at Sandown Lakeside today.

Two-year-old Prince Of Caviar was last night quoted a $4.20 favourite to make a winning debut in the opening race over 1200m.

The colt’s half-sister, Black Caviar’s first foal Oscietra, finished third on debut down the straight at Flemington but ultimately disappointed in her brief track career. Earlier this week, the Caviar syndicate, including Gary Wilkie, retired Oscietra after five starts for just two country wins.

“The pressure was on her and also on us to retire her,” Wilkie said.

“If she wasn’t Black Caviar’s daughter you’d probably race on with her. Her best run was her first run at Flemington and she couldn’t repeat it. She was a little small.”

Wilkie said Oscietra, by Exceed and Excel, would now go to I Am Invincible — the boom stallion to whom Black Caviar is currently in foal — this season.

But today it’s all about Prince of Caviar, by Golden Slipper winner Sebring, who has shown talent in two jumpouts at Flemington.

“We’ll be there. What we’ve been told from the Hawkes team is that it’s all going to plan,” Wilkie said.

“It’s still part of his education plan, but the fact they’ve put him in a $100,000 (race) is a good sign.

“They’re planning on giving him one run then bringing him back for the spring, so that sounds encouraging.”