Jockey Brad Rawiller believes that if Black Heart Bart can claim his fifth Group 1 win in the $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday, the big bay can claim to be rated the next best racehorse in the country behind Winx.
Black Heart Bart, above, is chasing his 5th G1 win in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Chris Waller trained Winx is rated the best racehorse in the world on turf and Rawiller said that the well performed Darren Weir trained Black Heart Bart should be rated at least second in Australia.
“In the past 12 months he’s furnished into an elite horse and arguably the second best in the country,” Rawiller told G1X.
Rawiller has forged a great association with Black Heart Bart and from nine rides has collected five wins, four of which were at Group 1 level and he is confident that he can add another Group 1 win to his record in the Futurity Stakes.
“I’m riding a star horse, I don’t need to speculate. I’m privileged to have the opportunity on such a great horse,” Rawiller said.
“He’s only getting better all the time to ride so that makes it easier to win a good race when you race correctly.
“He hasn’t gone backwards, he makes his own luck, he’s drawn well so I’m going into the Futurity full of confidence.”
Black Hart Bart’s first Group 1 win was in the $500,000 Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville during the 2016 Autumn Carnival and then he retuned in the Spring to win two Group 1s at Caulfield, the $500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) and the $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m).
Black Heart Bart then shone out again at his second run back in the 2017 Autumn Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 11.
Rawiller claims a soft track was the reason why we didn’t see the best of Black Heart Bart when he finished ninth behind Winx in the Group 1 $3m Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in his last run in the Spring.
“The Cox Plate was a poor run by his standard and there were circumstances because of the track, but other than that he has been outstanding every other time,” Rawiller said.
Black Heart Bart commenced his career in Western Australia under the care of Vaughn Sigley who prepared the Blackfriars gelding for ten wins before he was transferred to the massive Weir twin training operations at Ballarat and Warrnambool.
Early betting for the Futurity Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au has Black Heart Bart as the odds on $1.80 favourite well ahead of his nearest rivals Turn Me Loose at $7 and the Weir trained Palentino at $7.50.
