Peter’s Story

Some people are made famous or remembered for one particular or special achievement in their life.

Peter Moody has perhaps unfairly been included in that category.

Unlike a singer who carries the lifetime description of a one hit wonder, Moody has shown over his long and distinguished training career that there is more to him than just the champion mare – Black Caviar.

There would never be enough superlatives to describe the skill of Moody and the once in a lifetime attributes of Black Caviar which led the mare to remain undefeated in all of her 25 races which included victory in front of the Queen at Roya Ascot in the Diamond Jubilee.

Moody and his owners bravely decided to accept the risks of the world stage by taking the mare to England to face the best that was on offer rather than taking the softer of option of staying at home and continue to beat the same opposition she regularly demoralised.

Yes, Black Caviar was Moody and jockey Luke Nolan’s banner horse, but the trainer hasn’t had a shortage of big winners along the way.

But no mistake, no one is prouder than Moody on Black Caviar’s feats and he’ll humbly accept the praise and world-wide adulation heaped on him and the mare.

When Moody stepped away as a trainer in 2016, many wondered whether his other interests in the thoroughbred industry would be enough to keep him away from what had virtually consumed him since childhood.

But he did return and is slowly building up to the status he once held and now has stables at the Pakenham’s training complex at Tynong.

It should be remembered when something of a disillusioned Moody moved away from training in 2016, he added another Group 1 to his CV when Flamberge won the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley in what was the trainer’s final race before going into retirement.

It was his also 54th Group 1 success and his 2400th win.

“What a great way (to go out),” Moody told the press.

“I’ll probably get in my car and have a cry but I’m not going to do it in front of you bastards – my eyes are watering up as it is.

“That’ll stick with me for a while. It’s been an emotional day.”

In his autobiography – Peter Moody – the trainer told of his life as a kid growing up in tiny Wyandra, an outback Queensland town, with fewer than 100 people.

It was said he learned to ride almost before he could walk and horses were always part of his life and later as a teenager working for local trainers he learned many lessons.

His life changed forever when a mate’s introduction got him a stable hand’s job for the legendry Tommy Smith in Sydney. He was to later train in Sydney and Brisbane before moving to Melbourne where he went on to win four premierships.

Moody’s first major winner was AMALFI which also provided him with his first Group 1 winner in the 2001 VRC Victoria Derby at Flemington.

He returned to racing in May of 2020 the same way he left it – with a winner.

After being out of the training ranks for more than four years, his first runner was Shepard which provided Moody with his comeback victory.

While only training for a few months of the 2020 season, he finished with eight wins, four seconds and seven thirds from 50 runners.

But the following May he had already pushed past $2 million in prizemoney as his successful comeback continued to roll along.

He still has unfinished business.