Trainer Lindsey Smith admits he was always sceptical whether Black Heart Bart (Blackfriars) would complete a successful comeback but jockey Brad Rawiller never doubted the 9-year-old, who caused a massive boilover in Sunday's G1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood S.
Last October, Black Heart Bart's racing career was brought to a close by his previous trainer Darren Weir after the then 8-year-old failed to figure in the G1 Toorak H.
Eight days later, Rawiller's own career was at the crossroads, when he fractured a vertebra in his neck in a horrific fall at Cranbourne, which left him in a neck brace for three months and sidelined for five months.
At that stage, you would have been brave to suggest that the five-time Group 1 winning gelding and the jockey who had ridden him to each of those victories would be seen together on the racetrack again.
But on Sunday, they combined for what Rawiller will remember as the most emotional of his 24 Group 1 wins.
"I've won a Golden Slipper and a Caulfield Cup and never looked like getting teary and I am nearly in tears now," he said.
Rawiller decided to commit to the old marvel at the start of his comeback campaign, knocking back offers to ride the much more fancied Alizee (Sepoy) or Hartnell (Authorized {Ire}) when Black Heart Bart resumed with an eighth in the G1 Memsie S., earlier this month.
"I've been through thick and thin with this horse and I just couldn't not ride him, although at the time it was probably not the best decision," Rawiller said.
"I've been through thick and thin with this horse and I just couldn't not ride him." - Brad Rawiller
Smith, who took over training Black Heart Bart when he unexpectedly returned from the retirement paddock earlier this spring, admitted he had thought more than once about pulling the pin on the horse's comeback, but Rawiller's faith convinced him to press on.
"He's a grand old horse. I thought he was in a bit of trouble last start, but the jockey was confident that he would run a great race today," he said.
"He didn't declare him to me, but he was confident he'd run a good race today and not embarrass himself."
The former Western Australia did much more than that, charging home at odds of $101 and defying the late challenge of the Liam Howley-trained and Lloyd Williams-owned Homesman (USA) (War Front {USA}) to record a stunning 0.2l win.
Three of the top four places were filled by 9-year-olds with Black Heart Bart's former stablemate Gailo Chop (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}), now with Matthew Williams, finishing third, another 1.5l back, ahead of the old Godolphin warrior Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}).
It came three years since he had won the race previously, and over two and a half years since his last win in the 2017 G1 Futurity S.
Bart's story gains another chapter
It is the latest chapter of his extraordinary career, which started out for trainer Vaughn Sigley in Perth in December 2013. The Blackfriars gelding took nine starts to break his maiden, eventually doing so over 1000 metres at Bunbury.
In the next 13 months, he would win eight stakes races in Western Australia before his owners, who paid just $20,000 for him as a yearling, sent him to Weir to try and get him a top-flight success.
Black Heart Bart as a yearling
What followed was Group 1 wins in The Goodwood, the Memsie S., the Underwood S., the CF Orr S. and the Futurity S. all in the space of ten months.
He looked to have lost interest in racing when he failed to place in any of the six starts in his final campaign for Weir and it was no surprise to see him retired.
But his owners had second thoughts a few months ago and with Weir serving a lengthy suspension, Smith, who had set-up a base at Weir's former Warrnambool stables, was drafted in to mastermind the comeback.
Black Heart Bart had to trial before stewards and undergo a comprehensive set of scans before he was allowed to return, but with the care of Smith's Warrnambool Assistant Trainer Maddie Raymond, he was able to get back on the track.
Black Heart Bart, Brad and Maddie returning to scale
Both Rawiller and Smith paid tribute to what Raymond has been able to do with the veteran galloper this campaign, saying she had played a vital role in getting him back in the right condition to be competitive in a Group 1.
"Maddie has done everything with this horse. She pretty much deserves all the credit," Rawiller said.
