THE accolades came last week and now it's down to business for the world's leading sprinter, Black Caviar, which is progressing well towards a 17th consecutive win when she runs first-up at Moonee Valley in 11 days.

The five-year-old, second to the UK's unbeaten Frankel in the world rankings, has been back at trainer Peter Moody's Caulfield stables since the first week of January and, according to Moody, is quickly nearing the fitness needed to run 1200 metres first-up in the Australia Stakes.

''She's stripped down nicely and is in really good shape,'' Moody said yesterday. ''She'd done a bit in the water walker before coming here and that gives them a good base of fitness and so I don't see the 1200 metres first-up being an issue.''

Black Caviar, which has previously started her racing campaigns over 1000m or 1100m, will step outside the 1200m journey for the first time when she tackles the group 1 Orr Stakes over 1400m on February 11.

Moody said the distance rise has not meant a change in the mare's normal preparation. ''It's the first time we've been down this path [taking her to 1400m] with her but I can't imagine we'll be changing things too much with her. I'm happy where she's at.''

Black Caviar has not raced since her second Patinack Farm Classic win in the first week of November, where she came out of the race feeling the effects of a hard run on a firm surface. Moody said yesterday that at no stage was the mare lame or injured after the race, despite the trainer cancelling a trip to Perth for the Winterbottom Stakes later that month.

''She just came out of the race a little jarry and look, if that race was run in Melbourne two weeks later she would have run in it, but taking into account the long trip over there, I thought it best to get her to the paddock and give her a rest.''

Moody, who was at the Gold Coast last week for the Magic Millions sale, said he would decide in the next few days whether she needed a jump-out from the barriers before her return to the track. The trainer said the stable had not planned beyond the mare's next three runs. The group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) is expected to be her third run this campaign.