Black Caviar’s little sister unlikely to figure this Spring

Her big sister was back in the headlines this week, but blueblood filly Belle Couture is unlikely to be in a position to create headlines of her own until summer.

The half-sister to legendary sprinting mare Black Caviar, who has the stablename Pippa, last week returned to the spelling paddock and was unlikely to return to Danny O’Brien’s stable until at least mid-September.

O’Brien, who trains out of Flemington but also has a Barwon Heads complex, said there were no issues with the soon-to-be-three-year-old who had simply come to the end of her campaign.

“She got close to a trial, but then she just started to feel the pinch,” he said. “She’s in the paddock now at Barwon Heads.

“I thought she did a really good job. She started late and it was her first prep, so she couldn’t have done any more. We were very pleased with her.

“She’ll be out probably for about six weeks and we’ll start again with her. It’s looking like she wouldn’t be having a start until after Spring.”

Belle Couture, a daughter of Redoute’s Choice and glamour broodmare Helsinge, created worldwide headlines when BC3 Thoroughbreds paid $2.6 million for her at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

In addition to Black Caviar, she is also a half-sister to All Too Hard, who this season won four Group 1 races and is considered the biggest threat to Black Caviar’s quest for a third-straight Australian Racehorse of the Year award.

Black Caviar raced three times this season for three Group 1s, the most recent the T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in April.

Her owners this week revealed that Exceed And Excel, sire of Golden Slipper winner Overreach, had been chosen as the stallion to help launch the champion mare’s breeding career. 

Story by Brad Bishop, to view full Racing Victoria story click here