Last year’s winner Black Heart Bart will get every opportunity to score back to back wins in the Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday after drawing barrier five in the twelve horse field.

Black Heart Bart, above, has drawn barrier 5 in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

The 2016 Memsie Stakes was one of Black Heart Bart’s four wins over the Caulfield 1400m, three at Group 1 level, and the Blackfriars seven year old has regular rider Brad Rawiller back in the saddle again.

Trainer Darren Weir will have three runners in the Memsie Stakes and as well as Black Heart Bart he will saddle up Tosen Stardom (Blake Shinn, barrier 4) and Humidor (Mark Zahra, 11).

Black Heart Bart and Tosen Stardom galloped together at Ballarat on Monday morning and Weir was happy with both of their work.

“Both horses worked really well. Tosen Stardom is never a great track worker but I thought he and Bart strode over a strong half mile (800m) this morning (Monday), and on the clock they were the quickest for the morning but you would probably expect that and going forward both horses are in good shape,” Weir told racing.com.

“Definitely both have come on. Tosen Stardom still has a bit more to come, probably just a little bit below par where we wanted him first up but the run has done him good and I think another run will do him good and then he will be a month in between runs and head to the Rupert Clarke after that.”

“Really happy with Black Heart Bart, as normal the run has brought him on well.”

Black Heart Bart, Tosen Stardom and Humidor all raced in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 19 for a third, fifth and sixth respectively and Weir doesn’t expect Humidor to produce his best until the he steps up further in distance.

“He (Humidor) is going along really really well for the future. He definitely needs further for sure but just to keep the preparation ticking along we will probably run him on Saturday and then head to the Makybe Diva in a fortnight and after that he should be starting to come into his own,” Weir said.

The Weir contingent will be up against some tough opposition in the Memsie Stakes  with Group 1 winners Le Romain, Vega Magic, Hey Doc, Jon Snow, Single Gaze, I Am A Star and Yankee Rose all lining up in the first Group 1 of the 2017 Spring Carnival.

The Tony McEvoy trained Hey Doc has returned in winning style with a first up victory in the Group 3 $150,000 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on August 12.

Regular rider Luke Currie is in the saddle again and the Australian Guineas winner should get the run of the race from the inside gate.

The Lindsay Park trained Vega Magic has also resumed with a win in the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 19 at his first run back since taking out the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 20.

Goodwood winning jockey Craig Williams finds himself back in the saddle for the Memsie Stakes and Vega Magic should get a lovely trail just behind the pace from barrier three.

Le Romain has drawn midfield at barrier six and will be fitter for his first up run when second to his stablemate Invincible Gem in the Group 2 $200,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 5 and has Ben Melham taking over the reins from Glyn Schofield.

Final field for the 2017 Memsie Stakes (1400m)