Racing: Moody tries blanket to give Black Caviar cleaner start

Peter Moody will use a barrier blanket for the first time to aid exciting filly Black Caviar to jump away cleanly in tomorrow night's Group Two Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The massive 3-year-old will face only five rivals at what will be her first weight-for-age test against older horses.

She was found to have torn a muscle in her chest when she blundered on jumping away in the Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 5.

She kept her unbeaten record in that race by defeating stablemate Wanted but the setback forced her to miss the rest of the spring carnival.

"There have been no dramas loading or in the gates, she just seems to come out of them very awkwardly," Moody said. "I think that's from a tendency to try and begin too quick and, one thing I've noticed with most horses who wear barrier blankets, they tend to come away a little slower and nearly always a neck behind the field."

Moody added that in the last three of her four runs Black Caviar had had to pick herself up after awkward getaways which he believed were caused by the filly trying to anticipate the start.

Black Caviar, who drew barrier five, is a long odds-on favourite at A$1.35 with TAB Sportsbet.

- AAP