Trainer Darren Weir’s stable flag bearer Black Heart Bart heads a long list of Group 1 winners among the eighteen nominations for the 2017 Group 1 $1m Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Black Heart Bart, above, is among the nominations for the 2017 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Black Heart Bart, above, is among the nominations for the 2017 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Weir has also nominated French import Gailo Chop, the winner of the 2015 Group 1 $1m Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington, 2017 Australian Cup winner Humidor and the Group 1 placed Japanese import Tosen Stardom.

Black Heart Bart will be trying to make it back to back wins in the Memsie Stakes and will be fitter for a first third behind Hartnell and Charmed Harmony in the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 19.

The John Sadler trained Charmed Harmony is also among the nominations for the Memsie Stakes but the consistent eight year old has missed a place at his four attempts at Group 1 level to date and was beaten just under seven lengths when ninth to Black Heart Bart in last year’s weight for age sprint.

Tosen Stardom, Humidor and Gailo Chop all have the benefit a run under their belt after finishing fifth, sixth and eleventh respectively in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes.

Group 1 Goodwood winner Vega Magic heads up the nominations for the Memsie Stakes from the powerful Lindsay Park stable who have entered He Or She, Seaburge and Grande Rosso.

Vega Magic resumed form a spell for an impressive win in the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 19 and will be one of the main contenders for the Memsie Stakes.

Other Group 1 winners that are among the Memsie Stakes nominations are the Chris Waller trained Foxpaly, Australian Guineas winner Hey Doc, Shane Nichols’ high class mare I Am A Star, Australian Derby winner Jon Snow, Canberra trained Single Gaze, and dual Group 1 winning mare Yankee Rose.

Foxplay, who almost pulled off the upset of the year when run down in the final few strides when second to her glamour stablemate Winx in the Group 2 $250,000 Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 19, is also nominated for the Group 2 $250,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) and the Group 2 $200,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Nominations for the G1 Memsie Stakes (1400m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Hcp Rating
1 x4136x1111 ABILITY G 5 Robert Smerdon 103
2 9x211x75x3 BLACK HEART BART G 7 Darren Weir 115
3 9x60229x42 CHARMED HARMONY G 8 John Sadler 101
4 14x24141x2 FOXPLAY M 4 Chris Waller 111
5 8x181x37x0 GAILO CHOP (FR) G 7 Darren Weir 109
6 17121175×3 GRANDE ROSSO G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 100
7 3670x6713x HARDHAM H 4 David Brideoake 96
8 23590x160x HE OR SHE G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 105
9 34x31196x1 HEY DOC G 4 Tony McEvoy 108
10 29x42212x6 HUMIDOR (NZ) G 5 Darren Weir 112
11 1x271183x4 I AM A STAR (NZ) M 4 Shane Nichols 107
12 893337311x JON SNOW (NZ) H 4 Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman 108
13 51x11202x2 LE ROMAIN G 5 Kris Lees 115
14 54282x060x SEABURGE H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 105
15 x70312612x SINGLE GAZE M 5 Nick Olive 108
16 709x4x22x5 TOSEN STARDOM (JPN) H 7 Darren Weir 109
17 1x9171x1x1 VEGA MAGIC G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 111
18 x21x6D130x YANKEE ROSE M 4 David Vandyke 108

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.