Darren Weir-trained star Black Heart Bart will bypass the All Aged Stakes in Sydney
The Darren Weir-trained star Black Heart Bart will bypass the All Aged Stakes in Sydney, with an historic second Group One Goodwood in Adelaide now his immediate target.
Black Heart Bart is one of five horses from Weir’s team nominated for Saturday’s Group One All Aged at Randwick with the stable set to be represented by just Voodoo Lad in the 1400m weight-for-age race.
Weir confirmed Black Heart Bart would be staying home.
Hellbent is likely to run in Saturday’s Group Three Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Randwick instead of the All Aged.
Black Heart Bart ran second in last year’s All Aged before notching his first Group One win in The Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide last May.
The gelding has added another four Group One wins to his tally so far this season with the most recent the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on February 17.
Given the rain-affected ground, Weir said Black Heart Bart would not be going to Sydney.
“We’ll just go to The Goodwood,” Weir said.
The trainer is happy with how Black Heart Bart is ticking along.
“He’s great,” he said.
Black Heart Bart will have to create history to win a second Goodwood on May 20 with Musket Belle in 1911-12 the last horse to win the race twice.
Weir went close with Platelet who won in 2013 before finishing second to Smokin’ Joey a year later.
The Goodwood has had a prize money boost to $1 million.
Five-year-old Voodoo Lad has finished runner-up at Group One level twice this season in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and Newmarket Handicap.
He was fifth in the Group One TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) last start.
Hellbent was runner-up in the Group One William Reid Stakes (1200m) at his most recent run.
“He’ll run in the Hall Mark,” Weir said.
“I just thought the 1200 metres was the right way to go. He’s well weighted and it’s a nice race for him.
“Then he’ll go to either The Goodwood or Brisbane.”
The imported Articus is likely to kick off his campaign in Saturday’s Group Three Victoria Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield while Weir said he was undecided on plans for Flamberge.
“Articus will probably kick off at Caulfield seeing as though the track is a soft six today,” Weir said.
“He’s not wound up. We’ll just have a look at him with Brisbane in the back of our minds.”
