Bart conquers Carbine Club Stakes

Trainer Vaughn Sigley has Group 1 plans for Black Heart Bart after the gelding’s remarkable victory in the LR Carbine Club Stakes (1400m) at Ascot. Black Heart Bart is untapped and he became the 28th stakes winner for Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars on Super Saturday. Sigley is already looking forward to the G1 Railway Stakes in 12 months – his rising star was balloted out this year after close-up finishes in the G3 Asian Beau Stakes and G3 R J Peters Stakes. The lightly-raced four year-old had a lone Bunbury maiden win to his credit before inhaling the leaders in the last furlong of the Carbine Club Stakes. “He loves it when they’re skipping along up front,” Sigley said. “He can really hit the line off a genuine pace.” Sigley, who rode champion sprinter Placid Ark to victory as an apprentice at Flemington, is making a mark in the training ranks at Lark Hill. His biggest win to date has been with Blackfriars gelding Rohan in the 2012 WATC Derby. Black Heart Bart (4g Blackfriars – Sister Theresa by At Talaq) is from a half-sister to NZ & Australia Group 1 winner Savannah Success who also foaled Group 1 racehorse and sire Savabeel. Scenic Lodge bought his dam Sister Theresa for $50,000 from Stratheden Stud at the 2008 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale and she was covered by Blackfriars for the first time the following year. Blackfriars extended his lead on the Sunspeed sires’ premiership during Perth’s signature meeting of the year. Mt Hallowell Stud galloper Temporise had claimed the first-leg of a winning double in the Carlton Dry Sprint while Shining Knight finished third in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes and Son Of Something was runner-up in the LR Tattersalls Cup. Western Australia’s champion sire since 2010-11, Blackfriars has covered just over 100 mares this season and his fertility is better than 80% per cover in foal. Magic Millions has catalogued 40 of his yearlings for the Perth Premier Sale on February 17 and 18.