Black Heart Bart too Good in NZB Memsie Stakes

Proven galloper Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars) made a triumphant start to his new campaign, winning a high-class renewal of the Group 1 A$500,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The Darren Weir-trained runner had ended his previous campaign on a high, winning the Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) before a close second in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m). On Saturday he showed his class again, dominating the first Group 1 race of the new Australian season.

Aided by a frenetic early pace, Black Heart Bart bided his time behind the leaders before taking control in the straight and sprinting to victory for jockey Brad Rawiller. The New Zealand-bred and owned mare Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar) was a length and a quarter behind in second and Mahuta (Flying Spur) ran third.

"He's the best horse I've got," Weir said. "The owners are very keen to go to the Cox Plate, but they've said if you want to deviate along the way then we're happy with that, but if you can, aim towards the Cox Plate."

Raced by K B Renner, C R Delacy, A Psaltis, I McCarthy and Mrs D A Richardson, Black Heart Bart has now had 32 starts for 13 wins, seven seconds, two thirds and A$2.28 million in prize-money.

The NZB Memsie Stakes was the second leg of the NZB Caulfield Spring WFA Championship. Black Heart Bart’s victory earned him 10 points in the series, giving him an equal lead with Miss Rose De Lago (Encosta De Lago) who won the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes. The next leg is the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) on September 24.