Australian racing queen Black Caviar survived a scare in front of Queen Elizabeth II to win the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday.

Black Caviar (5m Bel Esprit – Helsinge by Desert Sun) extended her record run to 22 wins in 22 starts but not before giving her travelling supporters a few anxious moments when jockey Luke Nolen appeared to ease up before the winning post.

Black Caviar held on to defeat fast-finishing French raider Moonlight Cloud (Invincible Spirit) by a head.  She had quickly assumed the lead on the grandstand rail but failed to produce her trademark acceleration when challenged at the business end.

Trainer Peter Moody admitted he was very humbled by Black Caviar’s game performance in front of the sell-out crowd of 80,000.  “You’ve only got to win and we’ve got the job done,” Moody said.  “It’s never been about margins or dominance.

“We’re extremely proud of her and I’m an extremely proud Aussie.  Words can’t describe the feeling, just to be here and take it all in.  And it’s befitting that we’re here with a horse like Black Caviar.”

Moody purchased Black Caviar for $210,000 from Swettenham Stud at the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier yearling sale.  She was catalogued on behalf of her breeder Rick Jamieson from Gilgai Farm.

The Diamond Jubilee Stakes is the sixth leg of the 2012 Global Sprint Challenge and Black Caviar joins Inglis graduates Choisir and Starspangeldbanner as a winner of the prestigious event.

The Bel Esprit mare won the first leg of the Global Sprint Challenge earlier this year in the G1 VRC Lightning Stakes at Flemington.  She will return home for the Melbourne spring carnival before a possible trip to Hong Kong in December in an attempt to capture a lucrative bonus.

The Global Sprint Challenge includes a US$1million incentive for a horse that can win three Group 1 races across three different countries during the series.