Local hero Black Heart Bart is bred to stay the 1800m of the Group 1 $1m Kingston Town Classic at Ascot in Perth on Saturday according to trainer Vaughn Sigley.
Perth mare Delicacy is well in the betting for the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Black Heart Bart is the winner of ten of his twenty-four starts but is yet to win beyond 1400m with only two placings at distances longer.
During his three year old season Black Heart Bart ran third to Respondent over 1600m in the Listed $100,000 Lex Piper Stakes followed by a third again to the same horse in the Listed $100,000 J.C. Roberts Stakes over 1800m during the 2014 Perth Autumn Carnival.
But Sigley is confident that Black Heart Bart is ready to perform at his best over the 1800m and suggests his breeding on his dam side backs that up.
“Obviously he hasn’t gone over this distance for a while,” Sigley told The West Australian.
“But I reckon he’ll get it all right. I can’t see why not. The mare (Sister Theresa) he’s out of was an out-and-out stayer.”
Sister Theresa was by 1986 Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq and was successful over 2100m in Queensland while Black Heart Bart’s sire Blackfriars won the 1999 Group 1 $1m Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.
A good performance by the five year old in the Kingston Town Classic will see Sigley step Black Heart Bart up in distance again for the Group 2 $250,000 C.B. Cox Stakes (2100m) at Ascot on December 19.
Black Heart Bart kicked off his Spring campaign in grand style with a hat trick of wins in the Listed $100,000 Birthday Stakes (1200m) at Belmont on October 3, the Group 3 $150,000 Northerly Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on October 21 and in the Group 2 $250,000 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on November 7.
His winning run then came to an end when fourth to Good Project in the Group 1 $1m Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot a fortnight ago but Sigley points out that he will meet a lot of his rivals better at the weight under the weight for age scale of the Kingston Town Classic.
“We go up one kilo, but horses like Delicacy and Real Love have got to go up three or so kilos,” Sigley said.
“That will make a difference.”
Black Heart Bart will be ridden by regular rider Glenn Smith and has drawn well at barrier three in the sixteen horse field.
The Kingston Town Classic is turning into a very competitive betting race with five runners under the $10 mark at Ladbrokes.com.au, including Black Heart Bart at $8.
German galloper Magic Artist heads the market order at $3.90 ahead of the unbeaten Perth filly Perfect Reflection at $4.40 and local mares Delicacy and Real Lover at $6.
Kingston Town Classic market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3.90 Magic Artist, $4.40 Perfect Reflection, $6 Delicacy, Real Love, $8 Black Heart Bart, $15 Neverland, $17 Man Booker, $21 Extra Zero, Balmont Girl, Blackwood, Hazzabeel, $34 London Line, $67 Tower Of Lonhro, $101 Bass Strait, $126 Dark Musket, $151 Woodsville.
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