Five times Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart is the early market mover in the betting for the 2017 Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Black Heart Bart, above, is the early market mover for the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Black Heart Bart, above, is the early market mover for the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au opened up Black Heart Bart at $6 when the final field was released on Wednesday and then after drifting to $7, firmed in again overnight to be marked at $5.50 on Thursday morning on the second line of betting behind the $2.90 favourite Vega Magic.

Race jockey Brad Rawllier said that Black Heart Bart was in great shape to make it back to back wins in the Memsie Stakes after the pair combined to beat Rising Romance last year and the big bay gelding is certain to get the perfect run from barrier five in the twelve horse field.

The Darren Weir trained Black Heart Bart has had one run back from a spell for a first up third behind Hartnell and Charmed Harmony in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 19 and Rawiller said that the multiple Group 1 winner has progressed well since.

“His work on Monday (at Ballarat) was terrific,” Rawiller told racing.com.

“He worked with Tosen Stardom and it was quite strong work with both horses.

“Obviously, he’s going to be better than what he was first-up. We said that all along that he would be improved with that run under the belt and I think a lot of the work has already been done with barrier five.”

“All I know is that our horse is in great order and he’ll need to be,” Rawiller said.

“It’s a superior race worth $1 million and everyone is there to win. I’ll give him a good ride and Black Heart Bart at his best will give them a good run for their money.”

Black Heart Bart will be joined by stablemates Tosen Stardom (Blake Shinn, barrier 4) and Humidor (Mark Zahra, 11) in the Memsie Stakes on Saturday.

Japanese import Tosen Stardom finished a first up fifth in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes just ahead of Humidor and Weir said that both gallopers have taken plenty of benefit from the run.

“They’ll also take nice improvement from the first-up run,” Weir said.

“Tosen Stardom will run on Saturday and then a month later in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, while Humidor will want further.”

Tosen Stardom has got the blows in the betting and after opening at $11 has drifted out t0 $14 while Humidor is also a slight drifter from $19 to $21.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.