Burning Front aiming for Gold at Pakenham

The well-performed Burning Front has made a habit of winning races restricted to VOBIS Gold-nominated horses in Victoria and is favoured to add another on Pakenham Cup day.

The Darren Weir-trained gelding has amassed $1.3 million prize money and bonuses from his 54 starts and is the most successful VOBIS Gold horse in the scheme’s short history.

His next target is Saturday’s $120,000 VOBIS Gold Bullion (1400m) at Pakenham.

The gelding won the race two years ago and was second in 2016 behind Grande Rosso who is again among his rivals.

Burning Front’s wins in VOBIS Gold restricted races have also included two at Moonee Valley, one at Wangaratta early this year and another at Caulfield in April.

The seven-year-old is at $3 ahead of Grande Rosso at $4.40 and he will be out to snap a six-race winless run, having finished fifth in the Group Three Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) at Sandown at his most recent start.

Weir’s stable foreman, Jarrod McLean, said it would be hard to go past Burning Front as the stable’s leading chance at Pakenham from the Warrnambool-based contingent.

“He’s got a great record in these VOBIS Gold races,” McLean told RSN927.

“You could argue he’s probably not going as well as he has previously.

“The outside draw is a little bit difficult to overcome tomorrow but with 60 kilos on that weight scale he’s certainly well-placed.

“And if he could find his best he’s probably our best chance tomorrow.”

McLean also has two runners in his own right at Pakenham, Instrumentalist and Tried And Tired, but is in Perth with the Weir-trained Black Heart Bart who is favourite for Saturday’s $1 million weight-for-age Group One Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot after his close second in the Railway Stakes last start.

“He was terrific in the Railway and he certainly hasn’t gone backwards,” McLean said.

“From gate one, for mine it’s his race to lose.

“He gets his chance to win Group One number six, I think.”