Black Heart Bart Returns To Winning Form In Easter Cup

Black Heart Bart recorded his maiden race win in Victoria with a quality performance in the 2016 Easter Cup at Caulfield this afternoon.

Black Heart Bart was too good for her rivals in the Victoria Handicap at Caulfield this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart

Black Heart Bart was too good for her rivals in the Victoria Handicap at Caulfield this afternoon. Photo by: Steve Hart

Black Heart Bart was well-backed in the lead-up to the Group 3 Easter Cup (1400m) after he finished a close second behind The Quarterback in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), but he didn’t have things his own way in the Group 3 event.

The son of Blackfriars was bumped coming around the turn and he wobbled, but he flattened out impressively in the final stages of the race and he ran down a gallant Charmed Harmony to record his first race win outside of Western Australia.

Trainer Darren Weir was thrilled to score his first race win with Black Heart Bart in the Easter Cup and he confirmed that the Group 1 placegetter could press on to races like the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in Adelaide and the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.

“It is a big effort,” Weir said.

“The credit has to go to the boys down at Warrnambool because they talked me into running him.

“I was going to wait until The Goodwood, but they said he is that well that you should be looking for a race sooner than later, so we decided to roll the dice and run in this.

“He got a lovely run, he looked in a bit of trouble on the corner, but once Brad got into him and got him balanced up he really powered through the line good.

“When good horses like this turn up there is a bit of pressure on because you don’t want them losing a wheel, but he has held his form really well.

“We will have to put a bit of thought into where we go now.

“Whether we keep pushing out in distance or whether we freshen up.

“Obviously Queensland is in the back of our minds and a race like the Stradbroke would be a great race for him.

“How we get there I am not sure, but he ran really well in The Goodwood last year as well and the owners are a bit keen to head that way as well.”

The Newmarket Handicap form proved very strong in the Easter Cup and Charmed Harmony finished a close second, while Éclair Choice returned to a semblance of his best form to finish third.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.