Black Caviar: Australian mare retired unbeaten after 25 wins

Unbeaten Australian mare Black Caviar is to be retired after winning 25 consecutive races.

The seven-year-old sprinter won the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last year but tore a quadriceps muscle and faced the threat of retirement.

She returned from an eight-month lay-off in February to claim three more wins, culminating in last week's TJ Smith Stakes at Royal Randwick.

"She has done everything we have asked her to do," trainer Peter Moody said.

"We thought long and hard about racing on but believe she has done everything we asked of her and felt it was the right time to call time on her wonderful career.

"She's in great shape and that's the way we wanted her to bow out. We just thought the time was right. It was a hard decision.

"After Ascot, we were going to retire, but, in the finish, we got three more runs out of her.

"She brought interest to our sport that hasn't been there for decades. Black Caviars don't come along every day."

Widely regarded as the best sprinter in the world, Black Caviar retires with 15 Group One wins to her name.

Last Saturday's win eclipsed Kingston Town's Australian record of Group One victories.

Black Caviar was partnered by jockey Luke Nolen on all but three starts in a career spanning four years in which she won just over £4.5m.

Black Caviar is now set to start a breeding career, although a much-feted union with British champion Frankel, who retired unbeaten in October following a 14th win, may have to wait as she is likely to be visited by an Australian stallion later in the year.