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Sigley weighs up path with Black Heart Bart

Black Heart Bart is likely to cop 60.5kg or 61kg in Sunday's $120,000 Bunbury Stakes (1400m) as he chases a new weight- carrying record in the modern era.

Trainer Vaughn Sigley is expected to push ahead if Black Heart Bart receives 61kg or less when weights are released today.

Finito, who shouldered 57.5kg in 2003, has been the highest weight-carrying Bunbury Stakes winner in the past 20 years.

Black Heart Bart's rating soared to 104 after he handled 59kg with ease in last Sunday week's Pinjarra Classic (1300m), thrashing his rivals by 2½ lengths.

Racing and Wagering WA chief handicapper David Hunter will assess the nominations today. The most weight Hunter can give Black Heart Bart is 62kg.

"If he gets any more than 61, we'll forget about it," Sigley said.

"He's jumping out of his skin.

"It's the best he's ever looked and felt. That last run didn't take anything out of him."

Sigley said The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in May was "still on the agenda" for Black Heart Bart, who has won three consecutive feature races.

The in-form trainer will also start Dawn Approach in the Bunbury Stakes.

Dawn Approach's outstanding summer campaign includes victories in the Mungrup Stud Sprint (1300m) at Mt Barker and Cyril Flower Stakes (1200m) at Ascot last month.

He ran second to Black Heart Bart in the Pinjarra Classic last start.

"We'll see how he goes at 1400, but he's won and run second at his only two starts over 1300," Sigley said. "He runs a solid race every time."

Sigley confirmed She's A Virtue would be given a short break after her latest Ascot win on Saturday. The mare scored her sixth consecutive victory when she beat the in-form Temporise over 1200m.

"She's been up for a while," Sigley said. "I'm not sure how long she'll go out for yet. With a rating of 77 she probably has one or two more wins in her before we look at feature races."

·Jerry Noske will represent WA in the opening race of the National Apprentice Riders Series at Sandown tomorrow.

Noske picked up the ride on I Am Titanium at his first start for leading trainer Darren Weir.

·Storms and flooding forced yesterday's Geraldton meeting to be abandoned. Races will be divided at the club's next meeting tomorrow week and an all-aged maiden over 1100m has been added to the program.

"It's the best he's ever looked and felt. That last run didn't take anything out of him.""Black Heart Bart's trainer *Vaughn Sigley *