Black Caviar joined the list of Australian record holders after winning the Lightning Stakes, a Group 1 Australian thoroughbred horse race. Incidentally, the win, at the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday, is Black Caviar's 19<sup>th consecutive win.

She has now joined the likes of Desert Gold(1915 and 1917) and Gloaming(1919 - 21) for the record and also won prize money to the tune of A$750,000.

Black Cavair ($1.0 favourite) defeated Hay List, who came second, by 1-3/4 lengths in 55.53 seconds. Hay List ($12) was 1-3/4 lengths behind in second, while Buffering ($71) was a further two lengths away in third. Black Caviar's jockey, a thrilled Luke Nolen, praised Hay List and said he was very worried for a couple of strides, as the mare gave Black Caviar a run for her money.

"Hay List had me worried there for a couple of strides ... I've just got to take my hat off to that mare. She's bloody wonderful," ABC News quoted an emotional Nolen saying.

"She touched me today. She's probably been a bit of a protected species because of the way she goes about winning her races, but it was great to see that when the chips were down how much courage she had," he said.

"Champions just continue to do it, don't they?," he added.

Black Caviar, considered to be the best sprinter in the world, could contest at the Golden Shaheen in Dubai, on March 31, and the Golden Jubilee stakes at Royal Ascot (renamed as Diamond Jubilee stakes in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth's 60 years reign) in Britain on June 23.

The Lightning Stakes is a global sprint challenge. If a horse wins three legs of the global sprint challenge in three different countries, it can get a bonus of US$1 million, with the 75 percent of that going to the owner and 25 percent to the trainer.

With this win at the Lightning stakes, Black Caviar has won one leg of the GSC. If she contests and wins the Dubai challenge and the Royal Ascot challenge, she will get the bonus of US$1 million.

Gold Dubai