Peter Moody always vowed he would never be reduced to tears after one of Black Caviar’s wins. He delivered on that pledge, but the champion mare eventually got the better of him.

It was an emotional Moody that today explained why connections took the shock move to end one of the greatest careers in the history of the Australian turf, just three days after stretching her unbeaten run to 25 in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick.

“Twenty-five's a great numver and we thought she did us all proud on Saturday,” Moody said before his voice started to waver.

Once composed, he started again.

“The mare’s in great shape, we thought long and hard about racing on for another season, we thought about (Royal) Ascot, we thought about Brisbane, we thought about Adelaide, but at the end of the day, we believe she’s done everything we’ve asked her to do and she couldn’t have possibly done any more.

“It’s the right time to call it a day on what’s been a wonderful career of maybe one of the finest horses we’ve ever seen.”

The six-year-old daughter of Bel Esprit – who made her debut at Flemington four years ago tomorrow – retires a winner of her only 25 starts and $7,953,936 in stakes.

She came through Saturday’s win, an Australasian record 15th at Group 1 level, in fine style and Moody said that played its part in the decision.

“She’s in such great shape and that’s the way we wanted her to bow out,” Victoria’s premier trainer said.

“It’s always been the owners wish, and I’ve always suggested to them when I felt the job was done… we could bring her back, she could be back in the spring, she could be at Brisbane…but we just thought the time was right.

“It was a hard decision, but why not? She’s done everything we could have possibly asked.”

Neil Werrett, managing part-owner of the group of friends that funded the $210,000 purchase from the 2008 Melbourne Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, said that while it was sad Black Caviar’s career was over, they thought it ended with her dramatic Diamond Jubilee Stakes win at Royal Ascot last June.

“To get three more runs out of her and three more wins was a positive for the whole team and for Australian racing,” Werrett said.

“It was always going to be hard decision, but it would have been a worse decision if you ran on and something happened. Now she can retire and we can look forward to racing her progeny.”

Black Caviar’s racing career may be over, but the mare’s legion of fans will get one last chance to say goodbye when she makes a special guest appearance at her home track Caulfield this Saturday. - Racing Victoria