Victorian horseman Darren Weir has two horses contesting the 2017 Railway Stakes in Perth on Saturday and both Black Heart Bart and Ulmann have arrived safely in W.A.
Black Heart Bart is one of two Darren Weir-trained horses in the mix for Saturday’s Railway Stakes 2017 in Perth. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Perth Summer Racing Carnival gets into full swing on the weekend with the running of the Group 1 $1 million James Boag’s Railway Stakes (1600m).
Weir originally made five nominations for the handicap showdown but has taken just two over for the race with five-time Group 1 champion Black Heart Bart and six-year-old Sebring gelding Ulmann.
Black Heart Bart is one of the best in futures Railway Stakes betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, the Blackfriars seven-year-old chasing his first victory since taking out the Group 1 CF Orr – Futurity Stakes double at Caulfield during February.
A Perth expat who has plenty of form at the Ascot track (20:6-6-2), Black Heart Bart was fourth in the 2015 Railway Stakes and hasn’t been back in W.A. since December that year.
His latest start during the spring was a Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) fifth when under two lengths beaten by Bonneval.
Stablemate Ulmann was fourth last time out on Crown Oaks Day at Flemington behind Hellova Street in the Group 3 Chatham Stakes (1400m).
That followed a Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) win on Caulfield Cup Day and the Railway Stakes will see the galloper get back out over 1600m for the first time since a third in last October’s Group 2 Crystal Mile.
Black Heart Bart faces a notable challenge on Saturday giving away the kilos to all his rivals as the 59kg Railway Stakes top weight.
Only one Railway Stakes winner in the past 30 plus years has carried more than 56.5kg to victory with Luckgray (58kg) for his second in 2013.
Ulmann meanwhile is weighted on 54.5kg, a nice drop from the 58kg he carted last start.
Weir remains confident Black Heart Bart can run a good race in the Railway Stakes on way to the weight-for-age Group 1 $1 million Kingston Town Classic (1800m) back at the track on December 9.
“He’s obviously going to be better placed at weight-for-age in the Kingston Town two weeks later but he’s in really good shape going into the Railway,” Weir told Racing Victoria on Monday.
“I’ve been pretty happy with the other horse too and I’d expect them both to race well on Saturday.”
Black Heart Bart’s regular rider Brad Rawiller retains the ride on Saturday, while former Perth jockey Damian Lane sticks with Ulmann for the fourth time on the trot this campaign.
Weir’s Railway Stakes horses both landed in Perth on Sunday evening along with a host of other eastern-state raiders over in W.A. chasing the summer riches.
Seven other Railway Stakes hopefuls arrived safely ahead of Saturday’s Group 1 including the Chris Waller-trained trio of Kennedy Mile runner-up Tom Melbourne, All Our Roads who ran fourth in the same lead-up race and Cup Day Plate runner-up Life Less Ordinary.
Rounding out the visitors on the flight were: Godolphin’s Emirates Stakes third placegetter It’s Somewhat, Supply And Demand for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Lindsay Park’s recent Toorak Handicap runner-up Sovereign Nation and the John Sadler-trained import Observational.
Lindsey Smith’s locally-trained Scales Of Justice remains top of all-in Railway Stakes betting to successfully defend his title despite a shock loss when third on November 11 in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m).
Head to Ladbrokes.com.au for all the latest Railway Stakes 2017 odds, betting to firm with the release of the final field on Wednesday.
