Trainer Darren Weir’s top Memsie Stakes fancy Black Heart Bart will have to pass a vet’s check before being cleared to run in the 1400m Group 1 at Caulfield on Saturday.
Black Heart Bart, above, will have to pass a vet’s checked before being cleared to run in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Weir stable applied to the Racing Victoria stewards on Friday for Black Heart Bart to race in a three quarter bar plate on his near fore hoof and chief steward Terry Bailey said the multiple Group 1 winner would have to undergo a vet’s inspection when he arrives at the track on Saturday.
“Given the stable had the need to make the shoeing change, we’d want to check him over to make sure he’s 100 per cent,” Bailey told racing.com.
Black Heart Bart was already on the books to obtain a vet’s clearance before lining up in the Group 1 weight for age $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) after it was noted in the stewards’ report after the running of the Group 2 $200,000 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield a fortnight ago that the seven year old was mildly lame in the near hind leg.
Weir had reported that Black Heart Bart had progressed well since his first up third in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes and galloped strongly with stablemate and Memsie Stakes rival Tosen Stardom at Ballarat on Monday morning.
“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 will be ridden by regular rider Brad Rawiller from barrier five and 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.”
Black Heart Bart has been solid in the betting for the Memsie Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au at $6 behind the short priced favourite Vega Magic at $2.70.
Tosen Stardom has got the blows in the betting and after opening at $11 has drifted out t0 $15 before shortening again to $13 while Humidor is also a slight drifter from $19 to $21.
