Luke Nolen left heartbroken by sudden passing of Black Caviar
Luke Nolen will forever be indebted to Black Caviar as the heartbroken jockey shared one of his most special moments.
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Jockey Luke Nolen is forever indebted to Black Caviar.
A significance not lost on the heartbroken jockey after the legendary mare’s peaceful passing on Saturday.
“I was very fortunate to be in the position I was in, to be part of her wonderful career,” Nolen said.
“Most riders would give their right arm to get a chance to be a part of chapter of racing history like I was, and I was fortunate enough I got to ride her most of her career.”
Nolen partnered Black Caviar in 22 of her perfect 25 starts.
“It’s a little bit of a hollow feeling (right now), a blur, because she meant a lot to us,” Nolen said.
“A bit numb, she was a wonderful part of my career.”
Nolen recalled a memorable moment with Black Caviar after her final start in Sydney – the 2013 TJ Smith Stakes – with trainer Peter Moody and strapper Donna Fisher.
The trio and “the mare” shared the special moment in the Theatre of the Horse at Randwick.
“There’s a picture of us, Donna, myself, Pete and the mare after her last race in Sydney … someone sent it to me today,” Nolen said.
“Most of the intimate moments I had with her were one-on-one and mostly after the races and I didn’t like to share them with anyone.”
The “official” retirement ironically was the second time Nolen farewelled the mare.
“She’s a bit like John Farnham, she had a couple of retirements,” Nolen said.
“After England and then again when she did retire officially, I got the chance to share it with my family two times, she meant a lot to my family as well, and Pete’s and every one of the owners.
“We forged strong friendships because of this mare, and they remain intact to this day.”
Nolen paid tribute to Black Caviar’s owners for sharing the mare with the racing and wider sporting world.
“She brought a lot of people, that core group (owners) around her and greater community of racing,” Nolen said.
“She galvanised the whole racing industry, she was a great feel good story and we don’t celebrate them enough and when they’re gone we wonder why we didn’t celebrate them eno
ugh.”
Moody shed tears on Saturday sharing the Black Caviar news with family and staff.
“I rang all the family and the staff, Paddy Bell and those close with her, and I sat in the car and cried for an hour as I was ringing them,” Moody said.
“I have a bloke (from the stable, Giovanni Spiga) in hospital, and I haven’t shed a tear, but a horse has died, and I’m crying.
“You don’t think it affects you, but it does. It’s impossible not to get attached to most animals, but one like her, you cannot but do so.
“You get reminded of her almost every day whenever you turn on the TV, there she was shooting past the post.”
An emotional Ben Melham, who rode Black Caviar once for a victory in the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington, paid tribute to the mare.
“Tragedy, terrible,” Melham said.
“She was fair dinkum a legend of the turf, it’s a pretty sad day for racing and especially all those to have had anything to do with her.
“It’s a moment that’s probably been the best of mine in racing, it means a lot to have ridden a horse of that caliber, it’s terrible, devastating news”
Originally published as Luke Nolen left heartbroken by sudden passing of Black Caviar
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