STAR West Australian stayer Miata took her record to 15 consecutive wins when she broke the track record in a heat of the Sandown Cup over 715 metres at Sandown in Melbourne on Thursday night.

She didn’t just break the old record - she smashed it to smithereens.

Jumping straight to the front Miata was never in trouble and won by 8-1/4 lengths in the amazing time of 41.17 sec.

The previous track record of 41.54 sec. had been set by Lady Arko last August.

So Miata’s time equates to about six lengths faster than that.

It was a remarkable improvement on her win at the same track a week earlier when she fell in and recorded the moderate time of 42.39 sec.

The win took her overall record to 27 starst for 24 wins, a second and a third.

Her only unplaced run was when she was flattened from start to finish in a 530 metre race at her home track at Cannington in Petth last October.29.

She returned there a fortnight later to win over the same course and hasn’t tasted defeat since then.

Miata will return to Sandown next week for the Sandown Cup final where she will be an odds-on favourite to stretch her unbeaten streak to 16.

IN a tragic co-incidence a third "old-time" Australian Cup winner has died within a week.

Roman Arch, a 50-1 winner of the race in 2006, has died after failing victim to an infection in a hind leg.

Roman Arch hadn’t finished closer than ninth in his previous five starts before he edged out Candy Vale and Our Smoking Joe to win the 2000 metre WFA classic at Flemington.

Only days previously the people’s champ Vo Rogue who won the race in 1989 and 1990 passed on at the age of 28 and Northerly who won the race in 2001 and 2003 succumbed to a bout of colic shortly after.

Remarkably Vo Rogue also ran second in the 1988 and 1991 Australian Cup and Northerly ran second in the 2002 event.

The three gallopers were all iron horses who had lengthy careers.

Roman Arch almost reached the ton with a career of 94 starts which produced 17 wins and 12 placings and earning $2,111,230 for his connections.

Vo Rogue was just as tough with 26 wins and 23 placings from 83 starts for $3,118,100.

Northerly couldn’t match that pair for the length of their careers but along with his two Australian Cups he also won two Cox Plates and a Caulfield Cup among his 19 wins and nine placings from 37 starts that netted his connections a remarkable $9,341,850.

To judge how great that is just compare it to Black Caviar whose unbeaten career of 21 starts has so far earned $5,771,050.

No doubt many memories of Vo Rogue and Northerly will be recalled today with races named in their honour at Sandown Park.

Race five on the Lakeside card will be the Vo Rogue Hcp (1200m) and race seven the Northerly Hcp (1400m).

SUPER sprinter Black Caviar stands poised to conquer the world after taking her unbeaten record to 21 with an effortless victory in The Goodwood at Morphettville today.

The margin wasn’t great, she scored by only 1-1/2 lengths but it could be argued that there has never been an easier Group 1 victory in the history of racing.

From the moment the gates opened jockey Luke Nolen had a stranglehold on his mount and he didn’t loosen his grip at any stage of the race.

Nolen was happy to let Black Caviar stroll along three wide early on with the majority of the opposition quite obviously more concerned with enhancing their chances of the $85,000 cheque for second.

By the midway mark Black Caviar had started to edge ahead of the field with the longshot Streetcar Magic trying to keep in touch rounding the home turn but his efforts were in vain.

A few punters even got excited when We’re Gonna Rock started to eat away at Black Caviar’s lead but there was never any doubt about the result.

On the line Black Caviar had 1-1/2 lengths to spare over We’re Gonna Rock with Stirling Grove about five lengths further back in the minor placing,

It could be said that she started at the unbackable odds of $1.04 but that isn’t quiet true.

TAB Sportsbet reported a number of huge wages at those short odds including $200,000 on to win $8000.

Why somebody would risk that much to win so little is strange but they never had any real concerns.

Black Caviar will now head to England to tackle the best the world can offer in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 23, at Royal Ascot and may also contest the July Stakes there on July 14.

She is one of three Australian horses among the 57 nominations for the race.

Her expected appearance is England has already created enormous interest in the Royal Ascot carnival with a number of Australian touring parties expected to cheer her on.

POPULAR father/daughter harness racing team Alan and Amy Tubbs combined for their second Group 1 success in as many weeks when Brief Glance stormed home to snatch a remarkable win in the Vicbred Super Series 4yo trotters final at Tabcorp Park in Melton on Friday.

The race looked all but over when favourite Elegant Image ($1.50 fav.) kicked clear in the closing stages and not much attention was being paid to Brief Glance ($16.10) who was three back on the fence entering the home straight.

At that stage even the trainer was more interested in the horse’s action than his chances of winning.

Brief Glance had established a bad reputation in his three starts from a spell where he had often gone off stride when under a little bit of pressure.

After the race Alan Tubbs said: "That was amazing, I was just thinking keep trotting you bugger."

Keep trotting he did and once Amy dropped him into the sprint lane he quickly wiped away a some 20 metre lead that Elegant Image had set up.

In a matter of seconds he went from being a rough chance, to making it tight, to winning fairly easily by a neck.

Just one week earlier Alan and Amy had combined to win the 3yo version of the Vicbred Super series for trotters with Brunelleschi.

Friday’s win was a welcome return to form for Brief Glance who had shown plenty of promise at his first campaign where he had won four of nine race starts.

The win also earned him a guaranteed spot in Victoria’s newest harness racing feature event the Great Southern Star, a trotting series worth $350,000 which will begin next March.

KICK out your corgi, toss away your terrier, pack away your poodle and discard your daschund.

If you are going to have a dog in your backyard you had better make it a greyhound.

Interest in the speedy pooches is booming again as prizemoney for feasture races continues to soar.

Just this week the Sandown Greyhound Racing Club announced that prizemoney for the 2012 Melbourne Cup has been lifted to a record breaking $500,000 in prize money with a first prize of $350,000.

Regarded as Australia’s most prestigious greyhound race, the 2012 Melbourne Cup will be the richest greyhound race ever run.

"The Melbourne Cup is our flagship event, and we are proud to elevate its prize money to a level never before seen in greyhound racing," said SGRC Chairman Geoff Dawson.

"With over $1,000,000 in prize money on offer throughout the November Superdogs series, this year’s edition of the Melbourne Cup promises to be the most keenly ever contested."

But it isn't just the Melbourne Cup that is worth chasing.

In addition to a record prize money increase to its premier event, the Sandown will elevate all five of its Group 1 events to a minimum of $100,000 to the winner, with heats worth at least $7000 to the winner. Five Listed events have been added to the calendar, giving the club 16 black type races through the year.

The club will also run 12 Grade 5 finals worth $12,000 to the winner.

"Sandown Park has long been Australia’s leading greyhound facility, and we delighted to offer such an exciting feature event calendar that caters for such a wide range of greyhounds," said SGRC CEO Greg Miller.

"The Club’s ability to offer such amazing prize money for its feature races is testament to the hard work not only of those at Sandown, Greyhound Racing Victoria and the Victorian State Government, which has been a great supporter of greyhound racing, but to the owners, trainers and punters that continue to support the club and industry."

The Melbourne Cup announcement is possible thanks to additional $450,000 from GRV, and comes as part of GRV’s recent decision to increase prize money by 20 per cent from $30 million to $36 million for 2012/13.

The 2012 Melbourne Cup final will be run on Thursday 22 November.

STICK that up your arse!

That is almost certainly the call from the supporters of the game to the anti jumps brigade after a spectacular running of the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool on Thursday.

Unlike last year when there were squeals of protest after only two horses finished, 12 horses started this year and 12 finished.

Partly ironically Awakening Dream, who finished second of the two to finish last year went one better this time although all of his 11 rivals completed the course.

In front of a massive crowd that braved the wet weather, Awakening Dream was taken to the front midway by top jumps jockey Steve Pateman and he was always traveling like a winner.

When the real racing started with about 1000 metres of the 5500 metres to travel Awakening Dreams stretched out in style and taking the last three of the 33 jumps beautifully, he ran away to win by about 15 lengths.

The win completed a remarkable carnival for Pateman who won all but one of the six jumps races over the three days of racing.

His only loss was a second on Megapixel behind Fareer in the Brierly Steeple on Tuesday.

Although the winner scored clearly it was a tight go for the minor placings with Vindicating running on from midfield to grab second just ahead of Pentacola.

BLACK and Bent’s record equaling win the Galleywood Hurdle at Warrnambool on Wednesday did more than equal the record for successive jumps victories, it probably also created a new record for trainer Robert Smerdon.

It was Smerdon’s fourth win from as many jumps races to date at the Warrnambool Carnival after he scored a perfect three from three on Tuesday.

He won the first two races on Tuesday with maiden hurdlers Brungle Cry and Kirribilly Gold then won the Brierley Steeple with Fareer.

Historiajns were scratching their heads trying to think of any better performance on the first two days of the jumps festival.

Unfortunately for Smerdon he will not have a chance to improve on that tally as he does not have a starter in Thursday’s feature event the Grand Annual.

That could well prove a costly situation for Smerdon as the Warrnambool Club has an offer a mercedes benz for any trainer that wins three races over the three days carnival plus one of the three feature events - The Wangoom Handicap, the Grand Annual or the Warrnambool Cup.

Nonetheless Smerdon should have earned enough from his share of the prizemoney won to at least be able to put a decent deposit on a merc.

In winning his ninth jumps start in a row Black And Bent ($1.40 fav.) has equaled the record set over 40 years ago but Lots Of Time.

The long odds-on favourite didn’t have it all his own way in achieving the feat.

While some riders seemed more intent on making it tough for the favorite than giving their own mounts every chance, Black And Bent’s jockey Steven Pateman had to work him out of a couple of pockets early on and was content to race a little wide and give the champ some galloping room.

He allowed the favourite to run along at his own pace as he gathered in the leaders with around 1200 metres to travel before kicking away with a winning break on the home turn,

Second favourite Gotta Take Care ($7.50) ran home well to grab second 1-1/4 lengths away while outsider Seeking The Silver ($41) battled on for third a further seven lengths away.

Black And Bent is expected to try to claim the record for himself in a few weeks time at Sandown.

Interestingly one of his main dangers there could come from the winner of the third race at Warrnambool on Wednesday, a maiden flat race over 1700 metres.

Imported galloper Dhaafer ($6.00) came from a seemingly hopeless position with only 200 metres to go to win going away.

It was his first Australian start after a short but promising jumps career in England.

Dhaafer was a lightly raced jumper in England where he had scored over the hurdles at Warwick and his trainer Aaron Purcell suggested he might chase Black And Bent next time out.

JUST days after super sprinter Black Caviar busted the record for successive wins another long standing Australian record is under threat at Warrnambool on Wednesday, although in a completely different genre.

In the Galleywood Hurdle, race six, champion jumper Black And Bent is shooting for his ninth successive win over the obstacles which would equal the record set nearly 40 years ago by Lots Of Time.

Black And Bent’s winning run started when he scored by a half head over Grizz in the Fiscom Hurdle at Sandown Lakeside on April 21, 2010 with his latest success a five length win in a field of four at Sandown Hillside nearly two years later on April 12, this year.

In comparison Lots Of Time put his record together in rapid succession from March to June before he finished second in the 1969 Grand National Hurdle behind Brother Bart.

If stable form is any indication then Black And Bent should have no trouble equalling the record.

Apart from the horse’s own great form, his trainer Robert Smerdon won the first two jumps races at the Warrnambool carnival on Tuesday with two impressive maiden hurdlers who both started odds-on.

Making his hurdle debut Brungle Cry powered away to win the first race by three lengths and Kirribilli Gold, also making her jumps debut, led throughout to win the second by more than three times that margin.

Both winners were piloted by top jumps jockey Steven Pateman who also takes the reins to steer Black And Bent in his challenge to equal the record.

Pateman has partnered Black And Bent for his last six wins.

It will be Smerdon’s second attempt to equal the record having fallen one short with Black And Bent's half-brother Some Are Bent who won eight straight before he ran third when a $1.65 favourite behind Spanish Symbol and Anyone We Know in the Hiskens Steeplechase at Moonee Valley in 2007.

Well in under the set-weight conditions for the Galleywood, Black And Bent .is a $1.35 fav. with Sportingbet to equal the record.

VICTORIAN iron horse Smoken Up collected his third Len Smith Mile, holding on to win in his usual never say die style in a blanket finish at Menangle on Saturday night.
Forced to work early to hold the lead and put under pressure rounding the home turn Smoken Up was a sitting duck for his rivals in the home straight, but as he has so often shown this ain't no ordinary little duck.
As a handful of runners issued their challenge the now eight-year-old Smoken Up kept finding sometrhing extra and at the end he held them off by the narrowest of margins.
After enjoying the run of the race Captain Joy was the last one to have a crack at the leader but he fell a nose short.
Jaccka Clive, who scored a shock win over Smoken Up at Melton last week was a close up third.
The winner clocked a smart 1:52.4 sec. for the trip, well short of the Australasian record of 1:48.5 sec. he set in winning last year's event.

Earlier in the night, as expected the trophy for winning the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle was headed back to Victoria last night but not in the vehicle of the connections who were expected to collect it.
With Kate Gath steering while husband Andy screaming support from the grandstand Victorian longshot Caribbean Blaster stormed home for a shock win.
While the Gath's were celebrating their win the connectionns of last saeason's star three-year-old Sushi Sushi were scratching their heads and wondering what went wrong
After an interupted week of preparation where he had a mild cough Sushi Sushi was sent out a hot favourite but in the end he put in a career worst performance.
Caught wide for the first three quarters of a lap he worked into the death seat in the back straight and still looked a winning chance as he headed early leader The Phantom entering the home straight.
But the favourite compounded like a pricked balloon and was swamped with 200 metres to travel.
Showing great heart The Phantom kicked back to regain the lead only to be challenged and passed by Excel Stride and just as Excel Stride was being hailed the winner did Caribbean Blaster run over the top of them both.

RACING in Australia is just over 160 years old but in the space of 15 minutes racegoers in seperate states and perhaps millions more watching on television were privileged to watch two of the greatest racehorses in the history of the nation add wins to their records.
First up at Randwick in NSW champion mare More Joyous cast aside doubts that she could run out a solid 2000 metres when she led throughout to beat a quality field in Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Her jockey Nash Rawiller said later he hoped to take a sit and make a late run at his rivals but he had no option when he was left alone in front.
After winnng at her last three starts More Joyous looked in trouble as the field of eight compacted into a tight bunch approaching the home turn but like the superstar she is More Joyous responded and kicked away to win comfortaby
Rawiller said: "I was a little concerned on the turn, I don't know who it was but something drew up to her flanks, but she found plenty.
"She ran it right out very strongly."
Never short of a word the mares' owner John Singleton challenged the world's highest ranked horse Frankel to come to Australia.
He said: "She won the way you would have expected except what the experts had to say (about running out the 2000 metres.
"If Frankel wants to come to Australia, he is welcome."
It was the 19th win in 26 starts for More Joyous who has now won over $4,000,000 in stakes.

AND 15 MINUTES LATER

AS great as More Joyous is proving to be, remarkably her performance fell into the background shortly after as the Queen of the Turf, Black Caviar secured an Australasian record with her 20th consecutive win.
Facing one of the weakest Group 1 fields seen for years, Black Caviar strolled home to maintain her unbeaten record and edged one consecutive win ahead of Desert Gold and Gloaming.
In frnt of a massive crowd at Morphettville in South Australia, Black Caviar jumped to the lead in the Sportingbet Classic before her jockey Luke Nolen let a couple of outsiders their moment in glory by letting them lead the mare for a short time.
He eased the mare to the outside approaching the home turn and after coasting to the lead she raced clear to win easily.
Although the win was never in doubt Nolen expressed his relief at the end of the race.
"It is bloody to get it over with, it would have been a long walk home if she had got beat."
Black Caviar will back up again at Morphettville in a fortnight to tackle the Goodwood over the same course.
Under the old handicap conditions she would have been lumbered with upto 63kg but as the conditions were changed in 2009 to entice Take Over Target to compete (and win) she is now expected to carry either 56.5kg or 57kg.