Black Caviar Exclusive on Australian Story - To Set Before a Queen

With exclusive access to the team behind champion mare Black Caviar ahead of her Royal Ascot debut,  Australian Story - To Set Before a Queen - will air on Monday 18 June at 8.00pm on ABC1.

In the early hours of Sunday, June 24 tens of thousands of Australians are expected to set their alarms to watch a horse race in England. The unbeaten champion, Black Caviar will take on Europe's best at Royal Ascot, in front of the Queen.

‘The reason the industry wakes before everybody else, every morning of the year, is the promise of a Black Caviar.  For history and prestige there’s nothing that compares to Royal Ascot. On her status as the best sprinter in the world and the best sprinter of all time, she should be winning this race,” says Gerard Whateley, Black Caviar’s biographer. 

It's a success story in which many have played a part. To Set Before a Queen is the fascinating inside story of the making of Black Caviar, stretching back across the generations. Black Caviar is out of mare Helsinge by stallion Bel Esprit with blood links to legendary champion Vain on the sire and dam sides.

The edition features exclusive access to Black Caviar’s media-shy breeder, Rick Jamieson; AFL legend Kevin Sheedy who is part-owner of Bel Esprit;  Equine Advisor who found Helsinge,  Peter Ford with assured contribution by Gerard Whateley, Black Caviar’s official biographer.

It also features exclusive vision of Black Caviar’s new full sister in utero.

‘For me the challenge now, I want to do it again,’ says breeder Rick Jamieson.

‘Rick Jamieson hates the spotlight but there’s people out there who want to know the Black Caviar story and everything to do with it,” says Peter Ford, equine advisor who FOUND Helsinge, Black Caviar’s dam.

This is the second Australian Story on Black Caviar and the mare remains the first and only animal to feature on the program in its fifteen years of documenting contemporary Australians.