The Darren Weir trained Prince Of Penzance, Black Heart Bart, Palentino and Mahuta dominate the nominations for the Group 1 $500,000 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Black Heart Bart, above, is one of four Darren Weir trained horses nominated for the Memise Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
The first Group 1 of the 2016 season has attracted eighteen nominations which also include Derby winners Tarzino and Tavago as well as Australian Oaks winner Sofia Rosa.
2015 Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance will be kicking off his Spring Carnival campaign on the way to defending his title in Australia’s greatest race while Black Heat Bart will be tested for a possible Cox Plate assault.
“The owners want to go that way and if we’re not going well enough we will deviate,” Weir told G1X.
“The owners think he will run 2000 metres, so we will give it a crack and see.
“He’s just one of those good horses who will run well in whatever you put him in. He will probably need the run on Saturday, but he’s a good horse.”
Weir was able to collect a Group 1 trophy with Black Heart Bart when the former West Australian trained gelding won the Group 1 $500,000 Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 21 but was denied a second when narrowly beaten by Under The Louvre in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 11.
Prince Of Penzance has had one run since winning the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington last November for a second to stablemate Tonopah in the Group 3 $150,000 Robert & Fay Gerard R A Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 21 and is resuming from a short break.
Australian Guineas winner Palentino will strip fitter for one run back from a spell for a fourth to Voodoo Lad in the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 13 while Mahuta will be lining up for his third run back following two outings at Caulfield for a third in the Group 3 $150,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) on July 30 and a sixth in the Group 2 $200,000 Back To Caulfield P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) on August 13.
Tavago and Tarzino will be clashing again for the first time since competing against each other in the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 2.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young trained Tavago caused an upset win when he got the better of fourth placed Tarzino who had won the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington during the 2015 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Kiwi filly Sofia Rosa is also resuming from a break following her win in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on April 9.
The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have nominated three horses for the Memsie Stakes, He Or She, Rising Romance aand Tashbeeh.
The Robbie Laing trained Lord Of The Sky, Alpine Eagle from the Tony McEvoy stable and Australian Cup runner up Awesome Rock are also among the nominations for the weight for age Memsie Stakes.
Three of the Weir trained horses sit at the top of the Memsie Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au with Black Heart Bart being installed as the $3.20 favourite ahead of Mahuta at $7.50 and Palentino at $8 while Prince Of Penzance is one of the outsiders of the field at $31.
Early market order for the Memsie Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.20 Black Heart Bart, $7.50 Mahuta, $8 Palentino, $10 Alpine Eagle, Tarzino, $11 Lord Of The Sky, Sofia Rosa, $13 Entirely Platinum, Tavago, $15 Rising Romance, $17 He Or She, $21 Charmed Harmony, Tally, $26 Awesome Rock, $31 Prince Of Penzance, $34 Hi World, Tashbeeh, $201 Ayres Rock.
