Peter Moody says watching daughters play AFLW is miles better than training horses

Peter Moody may have conquered the world with Black Caviar, but the one-time champion trainer says that thrill pales when compared to the buzz he gets watching daughters Breann and Celine play footy — and his twins go head to head this weekend.

Former champion horse trainer Peter Moody, his wife Sarah and their twin daughters Breann and Celine who play AFLW. Breann (Carlton) and Celine (Bulldogs) face off for the first time when Carlton play Western Bulldogs on Sunday. Picture: Tony Gough

Peter Moody has been a key player in some of Australian sport’s most iconic moments, chiefly as trainer of champion mare Black Caviar.

But on Sunday, when twin daughters Breann and Celine go head to head as Carlton vies for an AFLW finals spot against the Western Bulldogs, he says it will come close to topping everything.

“I never cried or got emotional about horses, but I get quite emotional watching them,” Peter told the Herald Sun.

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“I’ve had more enjoyment in the three years with Breann and the last year with Celine than I ever did training horses.

“For 20 years I thought I was the only person on the earth and my family were just people in the house that I lived in, and then all of a sudden I’ve realised I’ve got a family. It’s very special.”

Former champion horse trainer Peter Moody, his wife Sarah and their twin daughters Breann and Celine who play AFLW. Breann (Carlton) and Celine (Bulldogs) face off for the first time when Carlton play Western Bulldogs on Sunday. Picture: Tony Gough

Breann was a showjumper but in Year 12 the now 22-year-old put the horses aside to focus on study.

It was only when she saw older sister Cara, now 24, playing footy for Cranbourne that she took up the sport.

She was joint winner of the Blues’ best and fairest last year.

“I thought, this is less time-consuming than horses, it looks like fun, I want to give it a go,” Breann said.

“I still love the horses and I try to get out to shows and I watch mum (Sarah) ride when I can, but I’m in love with football now.”

Celine is allergic to horses, but she still did her best.

Peter Moody with daughters Breann and Celine, then 7, and Cara, then 9.

“She had her goggles on at pony club,’ Breann said.

Celine played footy with the boys as an under-11 and then seeing her sister compete for the Blues gave her the “fire in the belly” again.

“I so desperately wanted to be out there myself,” said Celine, who was rookie listed by the Western Bulldogs this season.

Celine cops a fair bit of stick from her loved ones.

It’s all in good fun, but she’ll never live down the fact she got sacked from the local fish and chip shop (twice, if you believe Bre) and once from Kmart.

“I got fired from the fish and chip shop; I was only on a casual shift at Kmart,” Celine qualifies.

Moody and Black Caviar were once among the biggest names in Australian sport.

Cara and Bre Moody with their big Celine heads.

“She was very lazy,” Sarah chimes in.

Not anymore. As well as footy, Celine is based at Puckapunyal where she’s trained as an information systems technician in the army.

“The first three months everyone’s put through a pretty strenuous PT program where you do your pack marches, your push-ups and your sit ups,” Celine said.

“It’s probably two years of fitness in the making to get me out here onto the field.

“I’m pretty happy with the person (the army) made me become and I think everyone else is as well.”

Sarah has a lot of fun at the footy while Peter is a frustrated footballing parent.

“I just stand there and yell and scream and abuse the umpires … and my daughters,” Moody said.

The twin ruck towers — Celine is 186cm, Breann 180cm — say Dad is never discouraging; he just wants them to go harder.

“The form I’ve seen them show at home, I need them to take that onto the football field more often,” Peter says. “The ruggedness and the aggression and the intensity.”

“We did love a good fight growing up,” Bre says.

They’re now each other’s biggest fan and when Celine made her Bulldogs debut, her sister wanted to mark the moment.

Celine Moody in action for the Bulldogs.

Breann Moody will face her sister this weekend. Pic: Getty Images

“I was like, ‘how can I make a big effort of getting around her for her first game’ and it hit me — giant cardboard cutouts of her head,” Bre said.

And when Celine ran out, there she was, her big head bobbing in the crowd.

“We’ve come out to warm-up and sure enough there’s two blown-up heads of mine and everyone was laughing,” Celine said.

Celine is off collecting the footy when the big question is asked. Who to barrack for on Sunday?

Sarah points to Breann and whispers: “I reckon they’re a chance at making finals.”

Peter says he’s neutral. A dead-heat, perhaps, would be the best result for the racing man who has found his family in footy.