Multiple Group 1 winners Black Heart Bart, Humidor and Le Romain share the honours of being allocated the equal top weights for the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on September 30.

Black Heart Bart, above, is equal top weight for the 2017 Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Black Heart Bart, above, is equal top weight for the 2017 Epsom Handicap at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

All three were given 58kg for 2017 Sydney Spring Carnival feature Randwick mile when the weights were released today by the Racing New South Wales Handicapping Panel.

The Darren Weir trained Australian Cup winner Humidor was back in the winner’s stall last Saturday with a breathtaking victory in the Group 1 $750,000 PFD Food Services Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington, beating the James Cummings trainer Hartnell with the Weir trained Black Heart Bart running his usual honest race to finish third.

The Kris Lees trained Le Romain also went around in the Makybe Diva Stakes but failed to fire and was a well beaten eleventh.

The Lindsay Park trained Vega Magic is next in the weights with 57kg and is racing in outstanding fashion with wins from his last four starts, including two at Group 1 level.

The former West Australian trained galloper scored a first up win for David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig in the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 20 and then resumed after a break to win the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 19.

The five year old chestnut kept the winning momentum going with a resounding victory in the Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 2.

The Pat Webster trained Happy Clapper gained automatic entry into the Epsom Handicap with his win in the Group 2 $200,000 Tattersalls Club Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 2 and has been given 56.5kg for the feature Randwick Mile.

Happy Clapper continued on with his good form when a creditable second to Winx in last Saturday’s Group 1 $500,000 Colgate Optic White Stakes (George Main Stakes) (1600m) at Randwick.

Also exempt from the ballot is the Gerald Ryan trained Deploy for his win in the Group 2 $200,000 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on September 9 and has been given 54kg for The Epsom Handicap.

The Chris Waller trained Comin’ Through is another to miss the ballot because of his win in the Group 3 $150,000 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday and has the light weight of 50kg to contend with.

Vega Magic’s stablemate Redkirk Warrior retuned to the race track in dynamic form with a win last Saturday down the Flemington straight in the Group 2 $200,000 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) and has been allocated 56kg for the Epsom Handicap.

Waller has a very strong contingent for the 2017 Epsom Handicap and as well as Comin’ Through, also has Group 1 winners Foxplay (54kg), Egg Tart (50.5kg) and Good Prospect (52kg) among his thirteen Epsom Handicap hopefuls.

Final acceptances for the Epsom Handicap will be taken at 9am on Wednesday, September 27, 2017.

Weights for the 2017 Epsom Handicap (1600m)

# Last 10 Horse Sex Age Trainer Ballot Weight Hcp Rating
1 69x2125x12 HAPPY CLAPPER G 7 Patrick Webster 1= 56.5kg 113
2 1111×21411 DEPLOY G 5 Gerald Ryan 1= 54kg 108
3 21x5338x11 COMIN’ THROUGH H 4 Chris Waller 1= 50.5kg 101
4 211x75x323 BLACK HEART BART G 7 Darren Weir 4= 58kg 116
5 x42212x681 HUMIDOR (NZ) G 5 Darren Weir 4= 58kg 116
6 x11202x250 LE ROMAIN G 5 Kris Lees 4= 58kg 116
7 x9171x1x11 VEGA MAGIC G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 7 57kg 114
8 5x21x105x1 REDKIRK WARRIOR (GB) G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 8= 56kg 112
9 x12x3361x8 SENSE OF OCCASION G 7 Kris Lees 8= 56kg 112
10 4x24141x23 FOXPLAY M 4 Chris Waller 8= 54kg 112
11 181x37x014 GAILO CHOP (FR) G 7 Darren Weir 11= 55kg 110
12 09x4x22x53 TOSEN STARDOM (JPN) H 7 Darren Weir 11= 55kg 110
13 271183×477 I AM A STAR (NZ) M 4 Shane Nichols 13= 52kg 108
14 1541112×13 INVINCIBLE GEM M 4 Kris Lees 13= 52kg 108
15 0x2612x701 ZANBAGH M 7 John P Thompson 13= 52kg 108
16 x31196x140 HEY DOC G 4 Tony McEvoy 16= 53.5kg 107
17 480×350112 SOUND PROPOSITION (NZ) G 6 Kris Lees 16= 53.5kg 107
18 670x910x56 HEAVENS ABOVE M 6 Tim Martin 16= 51.5kg 107
19 113380×348 ECUADOR (NZ) G 8 Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott 19= 53kg 106
20 10x8747x46 HE’S OUR ROKKII (NZ) G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 19= 53kg 106
21 311255×427 RED EXCITEMENT G 8 Gerald Ryan 19= 53kg 106
22 x156495x84 MCCREERY (GB) G 6 Chris Waller 22= 52.5kg 105
23 31x11111x2 EGG TART M 4 Chris Waller 22= 50.5kg 105
24 7x0472x5x6 GOOD PROJECT H 6 Chris Waller 24= 52kg 104
25 3590x160x6 HE OR SHE G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 24= 52kg 104
26 13540x0x65 MACKINTOSH (NZ) G 5 Chris Waller 26= 51.5kg 103
27 3x6905x222 TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) G 7 Chris Waller 26= 51.5kg 103
28 280x344x21 BRAVE SMASH (JPN) H 5 Darren Weir 28= 51kg 102
29 23292490×7 DIBAYANI (IRE) G 8 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 28= 51kg 102
30 33x5126x69 INFERENCE H 4 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 28= 51kg 102
31 5×91375113 RHYTHM TO SPARE (NZ) G 8 Michael Moroney 28= 51kg 102
32 282x060x00 SEABURGE H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 28= 51kg 102
33 1x11130x15 BONNY O’REILLY (NZ) M 5 Bjorn Baker 28= 50kg 102
34 68×6502206 AMOVATIO G 7 Chris Waller 34= 50.5kg 101
35 1516510×39 BOOM TIME H 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 34= 50.5kg 101
36 1x76x0101x RED BOMBER G 7 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 34= 50.5kg 101
37 x6321220x0 SAVILE ROW (NZ) H 4 Michael Moroney 34= 50.5kg 101
38 0x20407x23 EURO ANGEL (NZ) M 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 34= 50kg 101
39 11x16515x0 GHISONI M 5 James Cummings 34= 50kg 101
40 7121175×31 GRANDE ROSSO G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 40= 50kg 100
41 70x6713x71 HARDHAM H 4 David Brideoake 40= 50kg 100
42 23×0653111 HELL OR HIGHWATER M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 40= 50kg 100
43 028x337x76 MAURUS (GB) G 7 John P Thompson 40= 50kg 100
44 33x1106x73 SPECTROSCOPE (USA) H 5 James Cummings 40= 50kg 100
45 9x12x27x56 OMEI SWORD M 4 Chris Waller 45 50kg 99
46 21612×9725 CHOCOLATE HOLIC G 5 Darren Weir 46 50kg 98
47 23276×1531 SOVEREIGN NATION G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 47= 50kg 97
48 44943×1980 TASHBEEH H 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 47= 50kg 97
49 66×1476295 THE VIRGINIAN G 5 Brett Cavanough 47= 50kg 97
50 x151611125 CANNYESCENT G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 50= 50kg 96
51 41x122x253 LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) G 6 Chris Waller 50= 50kg 96
52 x41212x221 THEANSWERMYFRIEND G 4 Robert Smerdon 50= 50kg 96
53 7x1215x141 WASHINGTON HEIGHTS G 6 Gerald Ryan 50= 50kg 96
54 36x621x325 IMPOSING LASS (NZ) M 5 Bjorn Baker 54= 50kg 95
55 4x234161x7 THE MISSION C 3 Paul Perry 54= 48kg 95
56 11x62745x6 NEW TIPPERARY G 5 Joseph Pride 56= 50kg 94
57 14x4197x88 RAW IMPULSE (GB) H 6 Darren Weir 56= 50kg 94
58 518437×443 ROCKET COMMANDER M 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 56= 50kg 94
59 114173×546 SNITZSON H 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 56= 50kg 94
60 4x4030x228 SO SI BON H 4 Robbie Laing 56= 50kg 94
61 x251212x67 INVADER C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 56= 48kg 94
62 5225223×54 COOL CHAP G 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 62= 50kg 93
63 2894053443 JACQUINOT BAY G 10 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 62= 50kg 93
64 3×68321983 PETROLOGY G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 62= 50kg 93
65 333x6759x0 HAPPY HANNAH M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 65 50kg 92
66 2210×67911 EMBLEY G 6 Bjorn Baker 66= 50kg 91
67 x55250x118 LUBITON M 4 Bjorn Baker 66= 50kg 91
68 1x11x661x0 RADIPOLE (IRE) G 5 Michael Moroney 66= 50kg 91
69 5111619×2 DAWN WALL M 4 Chris Waller 69= 50kg 90
70 01x1118x5 MY NORDIC HERO (GB) G 6 Chris Waller 69= 50kg 90
71 1x1380x000 RISQUE (NZ) M 5 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 69= 50kg 90
72 3×33017128 KINGSGUARD (NZ) G 5 Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes 72 50kg 89
73 38×0009720 MIHANY G 6 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 73= 50kg 88
74 2×32111114 SPECIAL MISSILE G 4 John P Thompson 73= 50kg 88
75 228x4x90x9 LIZARD ISLAND G 5 Pat Hyland 75= 50kg 87
76 x53526x425 NO DOUBT H 5 Anthony & Edward Cummings 75= 50kg 87
77 4x156x199x DOUBLE DREAM (FR) M 5 Kris Lees 77= 50kg 85
78 8x1130109x MONGOLIAN WOLF G 4 Darren Weir 77= 50kg 85
79 41231x2x21 SAMOVARE M 4 David & B Hayes & T Dabernig 79= 50kg 84
80 14163×64 TRAPEZE ARTIST C 3 Gerald Ryan 79= 48kg 84
81 3x75430x46 TAHANEE (ARG) M 5 Darren Weir 81= 50kg 83
82 4883230×76 VELADERO G 4 Chris Waller 81= 50kg 83
83 1x32386x90 SKYLIGHT GLOW M 4 Kris Lees 83 50kg 80
84 15×21 DRACARYS C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 84 48kg 78
85 113x256x68 JENNIFER LYNN M 4 Darren Weir 85= 50kg 77
86 1213 ADDICTIVE NATURE C 3 Bjorn Baker 85= 48kg 77
87 5x714538x1 SCREAMARR G 4 Anthony & Edward Cummings 87= 50kg 75
88 112 ASSIMILATE C 3 Peter & Paul Snowden 87= 48kg 75
89 214×83 GAUGUIN (NZ) G 4 John Sargent 89 50kg 68

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.