Oscietra, the first foal of Black Caviar, appeared in a public jump out at Flemington on Friday morning, much to the delight of her wide group of owners.

That was basically the first step in her much awaited first race start at Flemington, on New Year’s Day, over 1000 metres.

However, another jump out has been pencilled in for Friday, December 23, to confirm her first start.

Ironically she is likely to race much earlier than her mother did, who didn’t appear until April, with much less anticipation and expectation than her daughter will receive.

Friday’s jump out was over 800 metres, was timed at 49.45 seconds, just a tick under even time, nothing to get excited about.

There is a perception that the progeny of our best race mares, those that win the Group races, that their foals will inherit the ability of their mothers.

Sadly it doesn’t happen that way, it is purely a fallacy, it doesn’t work out that way, the very best race mares of their era rarely produce stakes winning foals, that is just a fact of life.

We will always look back towards Wakeful, whilst there is nobody about that remembers her she was an icon of the turf,. The Victoria Racing Club honours her on Derby Day, and I trust they always will.    

Wakeful won the Oakleigh Plate, Newmarket Hcp., Doncaster Hcp., numerous weight for age races, she finished second in the Melbourne Cup with 65.5 kg, the winner, Lord Cardigan, carried 41 25 kgs, he won by three quarters of a length.

She surely qualifies after producing Night Watch in 1912 to win the Melbourne Cup, with the same weight, 41.25, the same weight as carried when Lord Cardigan defeated Wakeful.

Catlita was a great staying mare in the time of the Great War, she was a stakes winner on several occasions, but never produced a stakes winner.

The most interesting fact concerns Sister Olive, she won the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes over 900 metres as a two year old, and never won another race until her win in the Melbourne Cup the following year.

At stud she produced Manolive, he won the Perth Cup, Williamstown Cup and the Eclipse Stakes.

Referring them to dual winning mares Chicquita was a good example, she won an Oaks, plus several other Stakes races, she produced Eskimo Prince, he won the 1964 Golden Slipper Stakes.

Dual Cups winner, Let’s Elope, left two Stakes winners in Ustinov and Outback Joe, and two Stakes placed, Court Courting and Yes I Will.

Golden Chariot was a success at the highest level; she left Wenona Girl, who in turn was the dam of Special Girl.

Rose of Kingston won the AJC Derby and was later sent to the United States to be mated with Secretariat, she produced the 1990 Melbourne Cup winner, Kingston Rule

Without doubt French Gem, by Beau Fils, has the most imposing record; she won the Oaks in 1938, soon after spending t her entire breeding life at Warlaby Stud and was only covered by the sires that stood there, Dhoti and Helios.

She was an outstanding mare, leaving five stakes winners Royal Gem, Beau Gem, Crown Gem, Regal Gem and Solar Gem.

Surround, Tranquil Star, Flight, and Makybe Diva have all been dismal flops, a lot of dreams have been shattered, none of those mares that were houses hold names, have hardly left a decent off spring between them.

It is no fluke, they have all had a number of foals during their life span, the only conclusion that can be offered is the hard tough righteous competitive racing that has taken its toll, and that has to be accepted until another explanation can be found.

Black Caviar