Australia’s famous racehorse Black Caviar has died, reportedly just hours after giving birth to her ninth foal and a day shy of her 18th birthday.
The champion achieved an unmatched record of 25 wins from 25 starts during a stellar career from 2009 to 2013.
Was it fair for Black Caviar to endure forced breeding? Listen the full episode below to find out more details.
Her passing has sparked a heated conversation questioning the ethics of forcing retired racehorses to “almost constantly” give birth until their death.
On today’s episode of The Briefing, Walkley-winning journalist Lucie Morris-Marr, who met Black Caviar during her retirement, shares her insights on this loss.
Morris-Marr noted that the gestation period for each foal is 340 days, and in Black Caviar’s case, she had nine foals over the span of 11 years.
“So she was almost constantly pregnant…and in the end, she died of a really severe foot disease,” she said.
“The question is, was this brought on by the sheer weight and scale of the succession of pregnancies that she was forced to go through? Is nine a little bit excessive?” she added.
Thoroughbred Breeders NSW president Hamish Esplin asserted that the mare received top-tier care throughout her retirement and that her owners remained deeply invested in her well-being.
Esplin described the criticism as misplaced, claiming that the champion was provided with the best possible care, including in the lead-up to her death.
“Everyone’s allowed to express their views. And of course, as I said, I came to this with fresh eyes, just as many people who are commenting might not know. And yeah, all we’re saying is, is this correct?”
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