Moods

The remarkable story of a champion Aussie horseman



In March 2016 Peter Moody, the man who took his ‘good mare’ Black Caviar to an unprecedented 25 straight victories, walked away from racing. Suspended for six months after he was found to have presented a horse on race day with an illegal level of cobalt in its system, the trainer made the drastic decision to close down his Caulfield stables altogether. How had it come to this?



In Moods, respected journalist Helen Thomas traces Moody’s extraordinary career, and shines a spotlight on the cobalt scandal that engulfed him. Through interviews with family, colleagues and friends, and with Peter Moody himself, Thomas explores the horseman’s life and achievements: from his time with turf legend T.J. Smith to the day he first noticed the bay filly who grew up to become Black Caviar, and the inquiry that led him to quit the job he loves.



Articulate yet reticent, tough yet sensitive, Moody is an intriguing character. For the first time, discover what drives the man who will always be remembered as Black Caviar’s trainer, and a true Aussie legend.



Helen Thomas has worked as a journalist for more than thirty years in both radio and print. She is the manager of ABC NewsRadio as well as being a thoroughbred breeder and racehorse owner. She is the author of The Horse that Bart Built, Past the Post, A Horse Called Mighty and 42 Days at the Races.