Melbourne’s premiership winning trainer Darren Weir has dominated the nominations for the 2018 Group 3 $150,000 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Black Heart Bart, above, leads the Darren Weir nominations in the 2018 Bletchingly Stakes at Cauflfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Weir has five of the thirteen horses entered in the weight for age sprint while the Melbourne Racing Club has extended the deadline for the nominations until 10am on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.
Multiple Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart looks likely to kick off his 2018 Spring Carnival in the Bletchingly Stakes and has been joined in the nomination’s list by last start winners Camdus and Voodoo Lad, last season’s Hobartville Stakes winner Man From Uncle and the stables promising sprinter Nature Strip.
Nature Strip is also entered for the Listed $100,000 Lightning Stakes (1050m) for the two and three year olds at Morphettville and part owner Rod Lyons said that Weir was leaning towards to heading to Adelaide with Nicconi three year old on Saturday.
Nature Strip had been touted as a chance to fill a slot in the $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 13 but Weir is more concerned about the colt improving his racing manners.
“Darren (Weir) always has the future of the horse to consider,” Lyons told racing.com.
“He said the race in Adelaide is probably better for him because he desperately wants to try and teach him to take a couple of lengths out of that early speed and produce that speed at the end of the race.
“He said ‘if I can get him to do that, he’ll be a multiple Group 1 winner I’ve got no doubt’.”
“If we got a slot (in The Everest), I think we can switch and train him for that slot, but he basically he’s (Weir) saying let’s go further on his education program.
“I think it would be better for him to go there (Adelaide) where there’s a bit more speed and that might allow him to relax a bit more with a view for later races.”
Black Heart Bart’s has been a long time out of the winner’s stall and his last visit there was well over twelve months ago when he beat his stablemate Tosen Stardom in the Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield during the 2017 Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
Camdus was back among the winner’s list last start in the Listed $150,000 Seppelt Wines Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m) at Flemington on July 7 while Voodoo Lad broke his long run of outs with a solid win in the Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on July 14.
Man From Uncle has only stepped out for the Weir stable on two occasions but has failed to run a place with a first up fourth in an 1100m Flemington Handicap on June 23 followed by a sixth in the Victorian Sprint Series Final.
Sir John Monash Stakes minor placegetters Inn Keeper and Jukebox are also nominated for the Bletchingly Stakes and the Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig has entered their dual Group 1 winner Vega Magic.
Nominations for the 2018 Bletchingly Stakes (1200m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6x11116x88 | ABILITY | G | 5 | Henry Dwyer | 101 |
| 2 | 11x7x | ARDROSSAN | C | 3 | Mick Price | 71 |
| 3 | 7×31332214 | ASHLOR | G | 4 | Dan McCarthy | 94 |
| 4 | 75x323529x | BLACK HEART BART | G | 7 | Darren Weir | 113 |
| 5 | 86125×1751 | CAMDUS (IRE) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 96 |
| 6 | 39621143×6 | CRYSTAL DREAMER | G | 5 | Mathew Ellerton & Simon Zahra | 102 |
| 7 | 11x6x11112 | INN KEEPER | G | 4 | Symon Wilde | 95 |
| 8 | 11x1220x3 | JUKEBOX | C | 3 | Ciaron Maher | 94 |
| 9 | 13×2008124 | JUNGLE EDGE | G | 7 | Mick Bell | 108 |
| 10 | x115x80x46 | MAN FROM UNCLE | G | 4 | Darren Weir | 90 |
| 11 | 12111×2411 | NATURE STRIP | G | 3 | Darren Weir | 89 |
| 12 | 1x11257x8x | VEGA MAGIC | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 113 |
| 13 | 57x145x001 | VOODOO LAD | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 107 |
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