Local hero Great Shot will be allowed to use similar front running tactics in a bid to win back to back Group 1 races when he lines up in the Group 1 $1m Magic Millions-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Black Heart Bart, above, is a firming favourite for the 2017 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Perth jockey Craig Staples was able to dictate terms on Great Shot who hung on to beat Black Heart Bart by nose in winning the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 25 and Staples believes the Rhys Radford trained gelding will be hard to run down again if he gets his own way in front.
“He can carry weight well and if he gets a good run where he can bowl along then the rest will have to bring it to him,” Staples told Western Australia Thoroughbred News.
“He is in good shape, his work since the Railway Stakes has been good and what we would have expected.
“When he is fit and sound he is more than capable of beating any horse in any race in any conditions.”
Great Shot was sent as one of the outsiders at $31 for the Railway Stakes and is at the double figure odds of $18 for the Kingston Town Classic with Ladbrokes.com.au.
The Magnus five year old will jump from gate twelve in the fourteen horse field and is up sharply in the weights under the weight for age scale and will meet the Darren Weir trained five times Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart 5.5kg worse, but Staples is confident he will still be competitive.
“It will be interesting to see how he goes at weight-for-age against Black Heart Bart and the three-year-olds,” Staples said.
“But I understand this horse very well and know what he is capable of and I’m confident he will put in and be very competitive.”
Victoria’s leading trained Darren Weir has reported that Black Heart Bart is in great shape following his Railway Stakes second and the multiple Group 1 winner is a firming $2.90 favourite for the Kingston Town Classic.
The James Cummings trained It’s Somewhat is on the second line of betting at $5.50 just ahead of the local filly Perfect Jewel at $6.