ASCOT, England, June 23 (UPI) -- Black Caviar won her 22nd race without a loss Saturday at Royal Ascot, but just barely.
The Australian super mare, racing for the first time outside her home base, held on to score by a head over Moonlight Cloud as jockey Luke Nolen appeared to relax in the irons in the final yards, almost costing the race.
Restiadargent finished third in the 6-furlong, Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, which wrapped up the Group 1 events at Royal Ascot.
Black Caviar, a 6-year-old New Zealand-bred mare, was always close to the lead and went to the front with about a furlong left in the race. She held the competition safe until Nolen seemed to quit riding shortly before the wire. He quickly recouped and Black Caviar just did manage to do enough for the win, with Moonlight Cloud in front just past the winning post.
In addition to extending her win streak and proving her ability against international runners for the first time, Black Caviar now has won two legs of the Global Sprint Challenge. She now could collect a $1 million bonus for taking a third leg in a different country with races still available in Japan and Hong Kong.
