What Black Caviar has achieved in her career to date is nothing short of extraordinary, but is the racing industry's desire to see her amazing run roll on turning her into more a freak show and less of a champion?
Those who have dared to question any aspect of Black Caviar's amazing record over her 18 starts to date have been called everything from to haters to critics to unAustralian, and so you have to tread a careful line when you want to start analysing the reasons why she has been so dominant.
It says something about her magnetism that she has inspired such fanaticism. It is a magnetism born out of the almost unnatural aspect of a certain outcome. Death, taxes and Black Caviar are now the three certainties in Australian life.
Not that has helped many punters. She starts at such prohibitive odds, that should an ordinary person put their house on her, they are unlikely to get much more than a front fence for their return.
But that's the thing which sets her apart from most other champions of the turf. In an era where horse racing has been accused of being little short of glorified 'pokies on legs', she has given her fans something less tangible, but arguably more valuable than cash in the bank. Because of that, every time she runs, it becomes an event of national significance.
The racing industry, which has struggled for traction in a crowded window outside of its traditional four-week spring window, gets a huge chance to push itself into the mainstream.
It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for the racing industry to drive its growth from the core product rather than through increased gaming revenue. This is about racing proving its worth as a sport rather than a curiosity based on chance.
With that in mind, there is a huge interest in seeing Black Caviar continue to win, and trainer Peter Moody has certainly done racing authorities plenty of favours by running her three times in three weeks this autumn in a window which is free from other significant sporting events.
But if the future growth of the sport is staked on this incredible mare's continuing success, does that reduce the incentive for others to plot her downfall?
Doubts raised about the unbeaten record have usually centred on the quality and quantity of her opposition. Apart from Hay List and maybe Crystal Lily, she has not come up against any sprinters which could be judged of the highest quality.
The general consensus on the reason for this is that she is so dominant that frightens others away. There is evidence that this is the case in Saturday's Lightning Stakes where 16 nominations have been reduced to nine acceptors. That would be the equal biggest field she has faced in her past six starts.
The lack of willingness for others to take her on has led to a lack of competitiveness and that has meant is that she has barely been tested in her past six starts.
Last Saturday's Orr Stakes provided a prime example. She was allowed to sit just off a farcically slow pace, while the only horse who had any chance of beating her, Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed, was four lengths further adrift. The race was over after 400m.
As a result she went to the line without being touched, completing the journey in one minute 25.14 seconds, nearly four seconds outside the track record.
As a measure of what was a doddle it was for her, that was a slower 1400m time than was run in maidens at Bendigo on Saturday and Warrnambool on Monday.
Moody's immediate reaction was that she would need another hitout over 1000m this week. This is the biggest risk he has taken in her career to date, and it is because she couldn't get a proper run in a Group One race worth $400,000.
Why? Because everyone wants to see her win. Even champion trainer David Hayes, wore a Black Caviar tie to the races on Saturday. No-one wants to be the one who beats her,
Remarkable horses do remarkable things, they just don't keep winning easy.
A win on Saturday against her old rival Hay List in conditions which suit her opponents more than her would be remarkable.
And from there, to maintain the momentum, the bar needs to be constantly raised. Racking up wins in races where no-one is out to beat her might grab the front page headlines and get her in the history books, but does it build the legend?