News Article
Blackie Back One Last Time
09 December 2009
Blacks A Fake on his way to 2006 Victoria Cup glory
Victorian fans of Blacks A Fake should do everything in their power to get to Melton's Tabcorp Park tonight.
The legendary pacer's first look at the new home of Victorian harness racing is also likely to be his final run in The Garden State.
Queensland trainer-driver Natalie Rasmussen stopped short of declaring the $400,000 Group 1 Blacks A Fake's Victorian swansong, but she also couldn't promise he'd be back.
"You never know with the old fella because he just keeps on keeping on, but he is nine now so I don't think there'll be too many more road trips for him," Rasmussen said.
"It would be fantastic if he could go out winning a Victoria Cup."
Blacks A Fake's $3,587,272 is the Australasian standardbred prizemoney record with a number of his most significant wins coming at Moonee Valley.
He completed his Inter Dominion hat-trick at that track in February 2008, the same month he won the Hunter Cup off 30 metres, while he also won the Victoria Cup in 2006.
The nine-year-old son of Fake Left has history against if he is to become the sixth multiple winner of the race with no horse older than eight ever victorious in the race first run in 1974.
Rasmussen isn't conceding, however, especially after the gelding drew ideally in barrier three for the 2240m event at 9.40pm.
While she was slightly disappointed with Blacks A Fake's seventh to Monkey King in the Miracle Mile, when he uncharacteristically almost broke stride, Rasmussen senses the winner of 55 of his 75 starts is back to his old self.
"He never really got into the Miracle Mile, he nearly galloped on the turn and that's just not him," she said. "But he's been good since and while Smoken Up's going to be very hard to beat, I'm very, very happy with our draw."
Blacks A Fake shares the $5.50 second line of betting with Melpark Major and Bettors Strike in TAB Sportsbet's fixed odds market behind polemarker Smoken Up ($2.30).
