Terravista has stormed home to record the second Group 1 win of his career in the 2017 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington this afternoon.
Terravista flew home to win the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington this afternoon. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos
Terravista was unlucky to finish second in a photo the Lightning Stakes when jockey Damien Oliver dropped his whip in 2016, but the veteran was all but forgotten in betting markets for the featured sprint this afternoon.
Jumping from the gates well, Terravista was settled behind the main pack as Heatherly, Flamberge and Illustrious Lad dictated the early terms.
Experiencing a good run in transit with cover, jockey Corey Brown waited patiently before producing the Captain Rio gelding with 200m to run; finding a gap between runners and flying home to beat Spieth on the line in a photo finish.
Brown delivered a perfectly-timed performance aboard Terravista to win the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes, but was quick to lay all the praise on the talented horse.
“He trialled well, but he’s been racing in a bit of a hole,” Brown said after winning the Lightning Stakes.
“He’s not been hitting the line well, but he trialled super and obviously he’s the best horse on paper, but he just had to get his mind right.
“He had the perfect run – I ended up nearly last at one point but Hughie and I were scouting for the same runs and I was lucky enough to get a run between them.
“Once he got daylight, he just launched at them. He was really, really good.”
Trainer Joe Pride has affectionately referred to Terravista as the ‘World’s Best Sprinter’ throughout his entire racing career, and the Warwick Farm horseman was understandably thrilled that his stable star was able to return to winning form in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes.
“He’s the 1000m horse in this field and if he hasn’t gotten there today, it was going to be a worry about when he was going to beat these horses,” Pride said.
“It was an explosive finish here today. Corey held him up beautifully. Corey’s ridden more winners for me than any other jockey and he’s been in Singapore for the last three years.
“I just watched him travel, he looked like he was going beautifully. I obviously worried he wasn’t going to get a run, but I’d prefer to see him like that than out in the clear.
“We’ll probably bring him back for the Newmarket. We’ll have to see what the handicapper does with him, but he’s a super horse down the straight here as you can see.”
Terravista has posted eleven wins and a further six minors through his twenty-five career starts to date.
