The Real McCoy. A storm in a fishcake over a champion?
The Justin Snaith trained Black Caviar was withdrawn from the first race at Durbanville on Wednesday amidst international outrage over the colt’s name following the worldwide acclaim of the champion sprinter of the same name.
The National Horseracing Authority of South Africa confirmed yesterday that the name of the colt originally called BLACK CAVIAR is to be changed. According to the NHA, the colt was given the name early in 2011, at which time, the great Australian Mare with that name was not as well known outside her country of birth as she is now.
The NHA says that the South African colt was not named after the Champion Australian sprinter and it is purely coincidental that it was given the same name. The South African colt is by BLACK MINNALOUSHE (USA) out of ROCKING AND RAVING (SAF).
The new name for the colt is to be approved shortly.
Masters Of The Jet. Leading owners Pat and Henry Devine
Australian racing authorities were up in arms late last week after it emerged that the unraced two-year-old colt had allegedly been named after the world’s most famous racehorse.
There is a tacit agreement among racing jurisdictions around the world to protect the names of elite racehorses.
For example, you won’t see Phar Lap’s name used in England while Australian owners will not be able to register Frankel.
The Australians were thus asking how Black Caviar’s name was allowed to be registered in South Africa.
The Herald Sun reported that Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said he would take the necessary steps to ensure the identity of Australia’s greatest sprinter is protected.
“There is an understanding among racing jurisdictions not to allow the name of a great racehorse to be used again, either in the country of the horse’s origin or anywhere else in the world,” V’landys said last night.
“I’ll certainly be contacting my South African counterparts to rectify this anomaly immediately.
“This should not have been allowed to happen.”
To add fuel to the fire, the first race today from Durbanville is being covered by Sky Channel and the NSW TAB.
The owners of the unraced colt, Pat and Henry Devine are leading breeders and owners of the ill fated champion SA sire Jet Master.
They were involved in a similar but unrelated naming issue a few years ago after the late Breeder Graham Beck named a horse by Jet Master out of Divine Nymph, Devine’s Jet.
The horse was subsequently purchased at a Beck Dispersal Sale following the tycoon’s death, under the same name by leading Cape owner Lady Christine Laidlaw.
Considered a classic prospect by trainer Dean Kannemeyer, the colt has won four of his six starts.
Following an appeal by the Devines to the National Horseracing Authority, his name was changed to Divine Jet.
