Hay List led up Black Caviar who got a brilliant start and Nolen began to worry if backing up from last week's 1400-metre Orr Stakes was such a good idea after all.
"Hay List had me worried for a couple of strides.
"I was a little concerned," he said.
"It was her toughest assignment.
"If she had have been set for it then it would have been a different story but she had a couple of hurdles to overcome.
"It was the first time in her life she has ever backed up and she was coming back from 1400m to 1000m."
Records show that of the 120 horses in Australia who had come back in distance from 1400m to 1000m in the space of seven days since August 1, 2008, only one had been able to win and that was at Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia with a population of about 4200.
Nolen said Black Caviar and Hay List gave the 22,806 people at Flemington a memorable experience.
"Everyone who showed up here at Flemington today weren't disappointed," Nolen said. "They saw two champions fight it out and I am thankful I was on the winning one."
Black Caviar, who ran the 1000m in a near-record time of 55.53 seconds, slowed to 10.4s between the 400m-200m and coasted home the last sectional in 11.4s, while Hay List puffed out his last 200m in 11.89s and finished 1 lengths behind.
Despite the margin and not being pushed out Nolen said Black Caviar would have felt the run.
Trainer Peter Moody has all but ruled out next week's planned run in the Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield for Black Caviar.
"Pete said today go out there to win the race but look after her the best you can," Nolen said.
"I tried to do that but she might have had a slightly tougher run than we thought she might have had."
Moody said it was unclear at this stage where and when she will go for her 20th win.
"I'd love to see it [go for her 20th win in Australia] but there is some possibility it won't take place now, but we've never let our heart get in the way of where she should be going."
- AAP
