Given a copybook ride from regular hoop Brad Rawiller, Black Heart Bart stormed to the front in the straight and drew clear for the easiest of wins, racing away of He or She and Lucia Valentina to win by two and a half lengths.
And connections won’t be left wondering what the rest of the spring carnival might have in store, they will clash with Sydney based champion Winx next in the Caulfield Stakes before another likely clash in the Cox Plate.
Black Heart Bart was sent out the well fancied runner in the Underwood after a string of excellent races including a Group One Memsie Stakes win before a gallant second last time out to stablemate Palentino in the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes.
Trainer Darren Weir said the son of Blackfriars would be in peak condition when the time comes to clash with Winx.
“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 long since then (his second to Palentino) and he ran away from them late. So we’ll head to the Caulfield Stakes now and see what happens after that I guess.”
“With no disrespect to that opposition, the opposition now will get stronger as you head toward the Cox Plate.”
“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 Stakes but I guess you don’t need to,” Weir added.
Black Heart Bart was a $20,000 purchase for part owner Kim Renner at the 2012 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale – an astute purchase from the draft of Lakeside Thoroughbreds.
With 14 wins and 12 minor placings from just 34 starts, Black Heart Bart has earned his five owners a staggering and ever increasing prizemoney haul of $2,673,580.
One of 33 individual stakes winners for Danehill’s Victorian Derby winning son Blackfriars, Black Heart Bart is one of three winners for his dam, the At Talaq mare Sister Theresa.
A four time city winner in Brisbane, Sister Theresa is a half sister to the Australian and New Zealand Group One winner Savannah Success.
A winner of the New Zealand Oaks and Ansett Australia Stakes, Savannah Success is now best known as the dam of Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase Savabeel – a Cox Plate winner and now leading sire in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Veladero could back up in the Group One Spring Champion Stakes after a gusty win in the Group Three Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill.
A $160,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbred syndication outfit from Baramul Stud, Veladero kept kicking on the fence when called upon by Rory Hutchings.
A wall of rivals, many more fancied by punters, were charging late in the race, but the son of Medaglia d’Oro was strong to the line and denied all challenges.
Veladero is one of two winners, from three to race, for the four time Sydney winning Belong to Me mare Stacked.
Successful at distances to 1400 metres, Stacked is a half sister to the Malaysian stakes winner Yousingwedance. It is the same family further back as former top class Victorian mare Flushed.
Winner: Black Heart Bart
Breeding: Blackfriars-Sister Theresa (At Talaq)
Race: MRC Underwood Stakes G1 (1800m)
Sold for: $20,000
Sale: 2012 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale
Vendor: Lakeside Thoroughbreds
Buyer: Kim Renner
Earnings: $2,673,580
Owner(s): KB Renner, CR Delacy, A Psaltis, I McCarthy & Mrs DA Richardson
Trainer: Darren Weir (Wangoom)
