Local hero Great Shot is set to take on five times Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart again in the Group 1 $1m Magic Millions-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Black Heart Bart, above, heads up the field for the 2017 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Rhys Radford trained Great Shot was able to lead all of the way and hold off all the challengers in the run to the line to record a nose win over Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 25.
Great Shot will be flying the flag for the West again when he tries to make it back to back Group 1 wins in the Kingston Town Classic.
Among the fifteen final acceptors for the weight for age feature is the James Cummings trained Group 1 winner It’s Somewhat and Chris Waller’s trio Tom Melbourne, All Our Roads and Life Less Ordinary.
The Darren Weir trained Black Heart Bart had raced consistently over the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival without finding the winner’s stall before heading to the West for a Summer Carnival campaign.
The Blackfriars seven year old was placed twice at Group 1 level from four Spring Carnival starts with a second to Vega Magic in the Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 2 followed by a third to stablemate Humidor in the Group 1 $750,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 16.
Regular rider Brad Rawiller will be free to ride Black Heart Bart in the Kingston Town Classic after he completes a careless riding suspension he received at The Valley last Friday night at midnight on December 8.
Weir was on hand to watch Black Heart Bart gallop on Saturday morning and is happy with the way the big bay gelding has progressed since the Railway Stakes.
“Bart’s good,” Weir told The West Australian.
“His work was good and Ulmann worked well, too.
“We’re fortunate enough to have Lindsey let us use his place.”
“Bart has settled in to the routine there and it’s just what he needed.”
“All thing’s being well, he’s heading into the race in good shape.”
The barrier draw for the 2017 Kingston Town Classic will be conducted on Tuesday December 5.
Early betting for the 2017 Kingston Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.50 Black Heart Bart, $4.80 It’s Somewhat, $5.50 Perfect Jewel, $8.50 Tom Melbourne, $11 Achernar’s Star, Life Less Ordinary, $17 All Our Roads, $21 Material Man, Great Shot, $26 Pounamu, $34 Money Maher, $41 Royal Star, $51 Silverstream, Gatting, $101 Cosmic Storm.
Field for 2017 Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m)
| # | Horse | Wgt | Rtg | Rider | Trainer |
| 1 | BLACK HEART BART | 59 | m116 | BRAD RAWILLER | DARREN WEIR |
| 2 | IT’S SOMEWHAT (USA) | 59 | m113 | – | JAMES CUMMINGS |
| 3 | GREAT SHOT | 59 | m108 | CRAIG STAPLES | RHYS RADFORD |
| 4 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | 59 | m106 | DAMIEN OLIVER | CHRIS WALLER |
| 5 | POUNAMU | 59 | m96 | PATRICK CARBERY | ALAN MATHEWS |
| 6 | MATERIAL MAN | 59 | m96 | MITCHELL PATEMAN | JUSTIN WARWICK |
| 7 | ALL OUR ROADS (NZ) | 59 | m98 | MICHAEL WALKER | CHRIS WALLER |
| 8 | LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) | 59 | m97 | DOUGLAS WHYTE | CHRIS WALLER |
| 9 | GATTING | 58.5 | m94 | LEE NEWMAN | DARREN MC AULIFFE |
| 10 | SILVERSTREAM | 57 | m103 | BRAD PARNHAM | ADAM DURRANT |
| 11 | COSMIC STORM | 57 | m93 | JARRAD NOSKE | GRANT & ALANA WILLIAMS |
| 12 | ROYAL STAR | 56.5 | m83 | – | GRANT & ALANA WILLIAMS |
| 13 | ACHERNAR STAR | 52 | m83 | CHRIS PARNHAM | SIMON A. MILLER |
| 14 | MONEY MAHER | 52 | m75 | JOSEPH AZZOPARDI | DANIEL & BEN PEARCE |
| 15 | PERFECT JEWEL | 50 | m83 | WILLIAM PIKE | GRANT & ALANA WILLIAMS |