Black Heart Bart heads small nominations for 2017 Futurity Stakes

Trainer Darren Weir’s stable star Black Heart Bart heads the small nominations for the Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Black Heart Bart, above, heads up the nominations for the 2017 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Black Heart Bart, above, heads up the nominations for the 2017 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Black Heart Bart is one four Weir trained horses among the seven nominations for the Caulfield weight for age sprint and the low numbers have forced the Melbourne Racing Club to extend the deadline for entries until 10am Melbourne time on Tuesday February 21, 2017.

Weir has also entered Group 1 winners Lucky Hussler and Palentino as well as Japanese import Tosen Stardom.

Black Heart Bart is coming off a last start win in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 11 with Palentino (4th) and Lucky Hussler (10th) finishing behind their highly rated stablemate.

The former West Australian galloper made it four Group 1 victories with his win in the Ladbrokes. C.F. Orr Stakes, adding to his Group 1 wins in the $500,000 Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville during the 2016 Autumn Carnival and two wins at Caulfield during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival in the $500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield and the $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.

Tosen Stardom has had one run for the Weir stable since arriving from Japan for a fourth to Awesome Rock in the Group 2 $250,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival and will be resuming for the Autumn in the Futurity Stakes.

The Lindsay Park trained He’s Our Rokkii has been nominated for both the Futurity Stakes and the Group 1 $600,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

He’s Our Rokkii is coming off a first up eighth to Black Heart Bart in the C.F. Orr Stakes and the four year old reached the peak of his career during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival with a win in the Group 1 $500,000 IG Markets Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman trained Multiple Group 1 winner Turn Me Loose is also among the nominations for the Futurity Stakes and is coming off a last start second to Black Heart Bart in the Ladbrokes. C.F. Orr Stakes.

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have nominated the in-form Ecuador for both the Futurity Stakes and the Group 2 $200,000 Crown Lager Peter Young Stakes (1800m) on the same program.

Ecuador has been up since late December when he won a Rosehill Handicap over 140m before making it two on the trot with a win in the Listed $150,000 Tattersalls Club Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on January 21 prior to running third in the Ladbrokes. C.F. Orr Stakes.

Early market order for the Futurity Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $1.60 Black Heart Bart, $8 Tosen Stardom, Turn Me Loose, $9 Ecuador, $10 Lucky Hussler, $12 Palentino, $17 He’s Our Rokkii.

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.