Above Average has emerged as the best jumps prospect in more than a decade. Photo / Thinkstock
No one knows Black Caviar better than Peter Moody, but even Victoria's leading trainer was left stunned after the sprinter's final hitout for Saturday's Goodwood at Morphettville.
Black Caviar delivered a gallop that most horses would love to produce on race day, not the pitch black of a Tuesday morning.
"She never ceases to amaze me," Moody told Adelaide Now after the 5-year-old ran home her final 400m in 22.26sec on the Caulfield course proper.
"She worked lovely, quickening the last 400m and always travelling within herself. She has ticked all the boxes and she's off to Adelaide.
"Everything is on track. She is fit and in form and we'd expect to win in Adelaide and then concentrate on the UK trip."
Moody watched the trackwork after returning from Hong Kong, where his charge King's Rose ran 11th of 14 in the group one Champions Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday night.
The effort, in what Moody described as unusually hot and humid conditions, was not enough for the mare to join Black Caviar at next month's Royal Ascot meeting in England.
Black Caviar's reward for her sparkling work was a trip to Mordialloc beach to stand in the shallows for 20 minutes.
Under the set weight and penalty conditions of The Goodwood, she is extraordinarily well off; Black Caviar has to give her rivals only 0.5kg-2.5kg, whereas under handicap conditions it would be 10kg plus.
TAB Sportsbet's Adam Hamilton described Black Caviar as "the best-weighted horse in the history of racing", which is reflected by the $1.04 on offer.
Apart from the straight-out market, TAB Sportsbet posted odds on Black Caviar's winning margin.
While it's $1.90 take your pick Black Caviar winning by under or over four lengths, Hamilton expected punters to jump on the mare winning by more than four.
Black Caviar will jump from gate eight in the nine-horse field, the same barrier Takeover Target started from when he won the 2009 renewal of The Goodwood.
Her appearance has attracted a sellout crowd at Morphettville for the second time, as fans clamour to watch her last race in Australia before she heads to England.
Black Caviar is $1.50 with TAB Sportsbet to win the 1200m Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Ascot on June 23, with British bookies offering much better odds.
Meanwhile, in Queensland, trainer Rob Heathcote's hopes of celebrating his first home-town group one win have been dealt a blow with favourite Buffering drawing wide in the BTC Cup at Doomben.
Buffering has been a short-priced favourite for Saturday's 1200m after his outstanding autumn runs against Black Caviar and Hay List and a seven-length win at Eagle Farm last start.
His price with TAB Sportsbet eased only fractionally to $2.60, despite the 4-year-old drawing barrier 14 in the 15-horse BTC Cup field.
The John O'Shea-trained Sea Siren, barrier five, is on the second line of betting at $7, with Beaded (barrier eight) and Neeson (nine) next in the markets at $9.
It wasn't all bad news for Heathcote with Woorim, who gave the trainer his first group one win in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield earlier this year, drawing gate seven.
Queensland's other recent group one winner Temple Of Boom also drew badly with the outside barrier 15.
Trainer Tony Gollan was bitterly disappointed, but gained some consolation when his half-brother Spirit Of Boom came up with gate two.
Heathcote was reluctant to reveal tactics with Buffering immediately after the barrier draw.
Buffering has won nine races during his career and on every occasion he has led.
"I thought Buffering was nearly a good thing up until the barrier draw but his alley opens up the race now.
"Adebisi and Satin Shoes have a lot of speed inside us so that will makes things keen but I'd love my two to swap alleys. Buffering is proven at weight-for-age and is still the form runner after his efforts against the world's two best sprinters Black Caviar and Hay List in Melbourne.
"I'll probably leave it to Nash Rawiller to decide how best to ride him but I'm tipping we'll be leading again.
"There's no better judge than Nash Rawiller on a frontrunner."
Gollan will also let rider James McDonald decide whether Temple Of Boom takes up a forward position.
"We certainly won't be pushing him to go with Buffering," Gollan said.
"Temple Of Boom's draw is disappointing but I'm rapt with Spirit Of Boom's draw."
Heathcote believes Woorim isn't without a chance if the race is run at a fast tempo.
Woorim hasn't raced since finishing last in the George Ryder (1500m) at Rosehill on April 7 but showed he appreciates a fast clip by coming from last on the home turn to win the Oakleigh Plate.
- AAP