Lindsey Smith pair up for Memsie challenge
Black Heart Bart (yellow sleeves) is ready to pick up his career in the Memsie Stakes.
Having passed all the checks and balances, Black Heart Bart is ready to make his reappearance in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.
Retired after finishing 16th in last year’s Toorak Handicap when trained by Darren Weir, Black Heart Bart resumes in Saturday’s Group One race which he won in 2016, for new trainer Lindsey Smith.
For Black Heart Bart to make it back to the racetrack, the five-time Group One winner needed to undergo a number of veterinary tests along with an official trial of more than 1000m.
Black Heart Bart was given the final seal of approval after winning a Cranbourne 1190m trial on August 19 on heavy ground and will have the services of regular jockey Brad Rawiller.
“It was a good trial and it was good enough for the vets to tick him off,” Smith said.
“So if they’re happy, I’m happy.”
Having passed those tests Black Heart Bart was given Smith’s final seal of approval after two recent Warrnambool gallops.
With a training set-up in Perth, Smith has been back and forth across the country keeping an eye on his Warrnambool team and has liked what he has seen of Black Heart Bart.
“He’s fine and ready to go,” Smith said.
“He doesn’t have to win, as long as he comes back safe and sound and doesn’t tail off, which I don’t think he will, he’ll be fine.”
Black Heart Bart is currently a $41 chance with Smith also saddling $5 second favourite Scales Of Justice.
The Godolphin mare Alizee heads the betting at $3.30.
A first-up winner of the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield last month, Scales Of Justice, under Saturday’s rider Dean Yendall, finished a last-start second to Dalasan in the Spring Stakes at Morphettville on August 17.
Scales Of Justice did not appear to settle in the run, but Smith had asked Yendall to be positive on the gelding.
“I asked him to go forward as I thought it was a leaders’ day and I thought the second favourite (Despatch) would get an easy run in front from the barrier,” Smith said.
“As it happened the second favourite was a little slow out and one popped in between the both of us and wouldn’t go down to the fence so we always had our foot on the throttle.”