BART BACK TO HIS BEST IN UNDERWOOD
Black Heart Bart (Aus) (Blackfriars {Aus}) brushed aside any distance queries and set himself up for a clash with supermare Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G1 Caulfield S. with an authoritative win in Saturday's G1 Underwood S. at Caulfield. Black Heart Bart was restrained back in fourth and off the fence down the backstretch by Brad Rawiller as The Cleaner (Aus) (Savoire Vivre {GB}) rushed forward to take up the running, quickly drawing three lengths clear of Jacquinot Bay (Aus) (Galileo {Ire}), with Black Heart Bart a similar margin back from that rival as the field approached the straight. Swinging three-wide into the lane, the favourite hit the lead at the 200 metre-mark and needed just a couple taps to draw clear and win going away. He Or She (Aus) (Kendel Star {Aus}) stayed on well to be second, with last season's G1 Queen Elizabeth S. winner Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) making an eye-catching late rally to be third.
Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
UNDERWOOD S.-G1, A$502,000, MRC, 9-24, 3yo/up, Open Weight For Age, 1800mT, 1:50.64, Good.
1–BLACK HEART BART, 59.0, g, 6, by Blackfriars
1st Dam: Sister Theresa, by At Talaq (USA)
2nd Dam: Alma Mater, by Semipalatinsk (USA)
3rd Dam: Sweetie, by Without Fear (FR)
(A$16,000 RNA Ylg '12 MCGFEB). O-K B Renner, C R
Delacy, A Psaltis, I McCarthy & Mrs D A
Richardson; B-Durham Lodge Thoroughbred Stud WA; T-D K
Weir; J-B Rawiller; A$302,000. Lifetime Record: 34-14-10-2,
A$2,672,950. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–He or She, 59.0, g, 6, Kendel Star–Danessa, by West Point.
O-A R & Mrs B A Macalister, V T Sigley, F Brown, R C Pearson,
G Lechte, J Lechte, Seymour Bloodstock (Mgr: D Thomas), M K
Dawson, R Ford & A F M Panozzo; B-Mr VT Sigley WA; T-D & B
Hayes & T Dabernig; J-Craig Williams; A$90,000.
3–Lucia Valentina (NZ), 57.0, m, 6, Savabeel–Staryn Glenn (NZ),
by Montjeu (IRE). (NZ$60,000 Ylg 2012 NZB National Yearling
Sale) O-L Petagna; B-Mrs H G & W G Bax, Waikato, NZ; T-K A
Lees; J-D Oliver; A$45,000.
Margins: 2.5 len, 2.6 len, 2.8 len. Odds: 1.20, 11.00, 4.50.
Also Ran: Jacquinot Bay, Awesome Rock, The Cleaner, Howard be Thy Name, Tarzino (NZ), Prince of Penzance (NZ), Tavago (NZ).
Click for the Racing Post result.
Black Heart Bart has yet to finish worse than second in eight outings since switching to the Darren Weir stable in March, and that tally now includes three Group 1 scores. Second first-up for Weir in the G1 Lexus Newmarket H. Mar. 12, he took the G3 Victoria H. over 1400 metres before another second in the G1 All Aged S. over that same trip. He earned his first Group 1 win when dropping back to 1200 metres in the Darley Goodwood S. at Morphettville May 21, and closed out his season with a runner-up effort in the G1 Stradbroke H. back up to 1400. The gelding began his 5-year-old campaign with a first-up win in the 1400-metre G1 Memsie S. at this venue, but raised some distance queries when second to stablemate Palentino (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}) going a mile in the G1 Makybe Diva S. Sept. 10.
Black Heart Bart is now set to race beyond 2000 metres for the first time since last December when he lines up against Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) over that trip in the G1 Caulfield S. Oct. 8, with both horses also expected to progress to the G1 Cox Plate a week later.
“It was good to see him run through the line like that,” Weir said. “I never had any doubts about the 1800 [metres]. I thought he ran really well the other day, he was just beaten by a better horse on the day. He'd come on a lot since then and he ran away from them late. So we'll head to the Caulfield S. now and see what happens after that I guess.”
The Underwood lineup also included Derby winners Howard Be Thy Name (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), Tarzino (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), as well as G1 Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance (NZ) (Pentire {GB})–none of which made an impact–but Weir noted the competition will only increase from here.
“With no disrespect to that opposition, the opposition now will get stronger as you head toward the Cox Plate,” Weir added. “That will have him right where we want him now. It will tighten him now and there won't be much to come after the Caulfield S. but I guess you don't need to.”
Pedigree Notes…
Black Heart Bart is the ninth and last-reported produce of the six-time winner Sister Theresa, who was also fourth in the G1 Queensland Oaks. While Black Heart Bart is her most accomplished runner to date, her daughter Rebel Sister (Aus) (Falbrav {Ire}) has proven a smart producer, having foaled a pair of stakes winners. Sister Theresa is a half to G1 Australia S. and G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Savannah Success (Aus) (Success Express), the dam of dual Group 1 winner and leading New Zealand sire Savabeel (Aus) (Zabeel {NZ}). Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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