'Bart,' Hartnell Face Off In Lawrence

Another race in Australia on Saturday that should produce its share of excitement is the G2 P.B. Lawrence S. at Caulfield. The 1400m event features a clash between the two heavyweight geldings Black Heart Bart (Aus) (Blackfriars {Aus}) and Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}). Darren Weir's Black Heart Bart has certainly shown a liking for the course and distance having logged five wins there to date including three Group 1 victories, the last one coming in the G1 Futurity S. in February when he edged out stable-mate Tosen Stardom (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by a nose. In contrast Hartnell is having both his first start at Caulfield and his first start for Godolphin trainer James Cummings and he hasn't run since being relegated to second by Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at Randwick in April. The pair aren't the only high profile names among the 18 nominations for the Lawrence as Darren Weir also has Tosen Stardom engaged while former Horse Of The Year Lankan Rupee (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) is also a possibility. Other Group 1 winners that could also take their chance are He's Our Rokkii (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}) and Abbey Marie (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).