The unbeaten Black Caviar – nicknamed the ‘Wonder from Down Under’ – has died at the age of 17.

The retired Australian mare won a record 25 consecutive races in her career from 2009 to 2013.

Her triumphs included a dramatic victory at Royal Ascot in 2012, when jockey Luke Nolen won despite easing up before the line.

She was crowned the world’s best sprinter on four occasions and Australian Racehorse of the Year three times, and was so famous in her homeland she appeared on the front cover of Vogue magazine.

“It’s a hollow feeling, she meant a great deal to us,” said Nolen, who rode Black Caviar to 22 of her 25 victories.

“She was an integral part of my career but, more importantly, she was so important for racing itself. She was one of our equine heroes.”

Black Caviar had been suffering from laminitis, a debilitating condition that affects a horse’s hooves, and was put to sleep on the eve of her 18th birthday after giving birth to a foal.

Peter Moody, her Melbourne-based trainer, said: “It’s impossible not to get attached to most animals, let alone one like her. She had the foal this morning, a colt foal by Snitzel, and they put her down shortly after that on humane grounds.”