Trainer Mark Minervini, like every other trainer that has a runner facing up against the world’s best sprinter in Black Caviar at Morphettville on Saturday, knows that he is facing a daunting task with his three year old Go The Knuckle.
Go The Knuckle is currently second favourite at $19 in the Group 1 $500,000 The Distinctive Homes Goodwood (1200m) with the mighty mare at the unbackable odds of $1.04.
“It’s a pretty daunting task,” Minervini said.
The Elvstroem three year old is one of only eight runners lining up against Black Caviar who is sailing towards her twenty-first straight win before heading off to Royal Ascot to run in the Group 1 £500,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) on June 23.
Go The Knuckle is the winner of three races from seven starts compared to Black Caviar’s twenty from twenty including ten Group 1 wins.
Minervini sent Go The Knuckle for a short break after winning the Group 2 $250,000 Centrebet Classic at Morphettville on March 12.
And he is sending the three year old into battle with the highest ranked sprinter in the world coming off a third to Outlandish Lad in the Group 3 $115,000 evright.com D C McKay Stakes at Morphettville on April 28.
“He’s come through it well. He dashed down three furlongs (600m) on Tuesday morning and went well and he’s pulled up well so we’re looking forward to the challenge,” Minervini said.
To say Go The Knuckle is badly weighted with 55.5kg is a vast understatement. He has only 1.5kg less than Black Caviar due to the set weights and penalties condition of the race, making Black Caviar’s romp at Morphettville one of her easiest assignments.
Even with the massive weight disadvantage Minervini is expecting Go The Knuckle to perform at the best of his ability.
“He’s been a very consistent young horse. He’s a Group Two winner and I think if Black Caviar wasn’t in the race he’d probably start favourite in the Goodwood and probably be really hard to beat,” Minervini said.
Black Caviar is expected to draw another crowd of 30,000 to Morphettville on Saturday to repeat the excitement of two weeks ago when the mighty mare set the new Australasian record for most consecutive wins in securing her twentieth victory in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Classic (Registered as Robert Sangster Stakes) (1200m).
