THE British press is having a field day in the aftermath of Black Caviar's close-run win at Ascot on Saturday.

The headlines about ''the Wonder from Down Under'' - the horse - are now accompanied by sharp criticism of ''the Blunder from Down Under'': the way jockey Luke Nolen made a rookie's mistake and stopped riding close to the finish of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, almost losing it. In one of racing's most heart-stopping wins, Black Caviar put on a final burst of speed and put down her head in the last few strides after she had been overtaken by her closest rival, Midnight Cloud. The photo showed she won by a nostril.

Nolen later admitted he had lost the plot part-way through. ''I let her idle through the last 200 [metres],'' he said, ''and I underestimated just how stiff a track this straight six furlongs is, and also the opposition.

''And I shit myself duly. And I'm afraid my brain fade might be talked about more than this mare's fantastic effort.''