Jockey Brad Rawiller said that the inside barrier in Saturday’s Group 1 $1m Magic Millions-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth will give Black Heart Bart a great chance to claim his sixth Group 1 win.
Brad Rawiller, above, rides Black Heart Bart in the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Adrienne Bicknell.
Rawiller will be able to settle Black Heart Bart on the fence behind the leading division and provide him with every opportunity to run out a strong 1800m.
“Barrier one sometimes means you might get caught a couple back on the fence, but I’ll take it any day,” Rawiller told racing.com.
“Especially in this race as it means he should be able to find his position without too much trouble, relax in the run and be really strong through the line over the 1800 (metres).”
“He’s going really well the horse and we all know he’s well in at the weights at the conditions so if I can give him a good run in the race, then I reckon he’ll take care of the rest.”
The Darren Weir trained Black Heart Bart is already a Group 1 winner over the 1800m with his victory in $500,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes at Caulfield during the 2016 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Black Heart Bart was winless from four starts over the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnoval before finishing runner up to Great Shot in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 25.
The Railway Stakes second was the seven year old’s third Group 1 placing from his last four starts and he is definitely overdue to claim another major prize.
Black Heart Bart was 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.
The big bay gelding then missed a place at his next start when fifth to Bonneval in the Group 1 $750,000 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on October 1 and then Weir sent him up to his farm at Maldon to test out the new sand track that had been recently constructed.
Drawing the pole position has cemented Black Heart Bart’s spot at the top of the Kingston Town Classic market order at $3.30 with Ladbrokes.com.au ahead of the James Cummings trained It’s Somewhat at $5 and local filly Perfect Jewel at $6.
It’s Somewhat, who will carry the Godolphin royal blue colours, has drawn poorly at barrier eleven while the Grant and Alana Williams trained Perfect Jewel will jump from gate nine with Perth’s leading jockey William Pike in the saddle.
Early betting for the 2017 Kingston Town Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.30 Black Heart Bart, $5 It’s Somewhat, $6 Perfect Jewel, $8 Tom Melbourne, $10 Achernar’s Star, $11 Life Less Ordinary, $21 All Our Roads, Great Shot, Pounamu, $26 Material Man, Money Maher, $41 Royal Star, $51 Silverstream, Gatting, $101 Cosmic Storm.
Final field and barrier draw for 2017 Kingston Town Classic (1800m)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
| 1 | 1x75x32352 | BLACK HEART BART | Darren Weir | Brad Rawiller | 1 | 59kg |
| 2 | 3x1119x033 | IT’S SOMEWHAT (USA) | James Cummings | Brenton Avdulla | 11 | 59kg |
| 3 | 2186×52321 | GREAT SHOT | Rhys Radford | Craig Staples | 12 | 59kg |
| 4 | 05×2222623 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | Chris Waller | Damien Oliver | 7 | 59kg |
| 5 | 11x4963x16 | POUNAMU | Alan Mathews | Patrick Carbery | 8 | 59kg |
| 6 | x31114x145 | MATERIAL MAN | Justin Warwick | Mitchell Pateman | 6 | 59kg |
| 7 | 26216×3549 | ALL OUR ROADS (NZ) | Chris Waller | Michael Walker | 14 | 59kg |
| 8 | x122x25392 | LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) | Chris Waller | Douglas Whyte | 5 | 59kg |
| 9 | 82413×6517 | GATTING | Darren Mcauliffe | Lee Newman | 13 | 58.5kg |
| 10 | 90122×2110 | SILVERSTREAM | Adam Durrant | Brad Parnham | 15 | 57kg |
| 11 | 3x1511x460 | COSMIC STORM | Grant & Alana Williams | Glenn Smith | 3 | 57kg |
| 12 | 11612×1522 | ROYAL STAR | Grant & Alana Williams | Jarrad Noske | 10 | 56.5kg |
| 13 | 1x122x7122 | ACHERNAR STAR | Simon A Miller | Chris Parnham | 4 | 52kg |
| 14 | x223x11617 | MONEY MAHER | Daniel & Ben Pearce | Joseph Azzopardi | 2 | 52kg |
| 15 | 1×1141 | PERFECT JEWEL | Grant & Alana Williams | William Pike | 9 | 50kg |