Futures 2017 Memsie Stakes betting is now tipped as a battle between the reigning champion

Black Heart Bart, Goodwood winner Vega Magic and Le Romain following the latter’s smart Randwick trial on Monday morning.

Kris Lees’ Hard Spun five-year-old Le Romain pleased his Newcastle trainer running fifth behind the Team Snowden-trained Group 1 winners Redzel and Russian Revolution over 1045m in the open hit-out.

That followed the galloper’s first-up second behind 2017 Epsom Handicap-bound stablemate Invincible Gem in the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 5.

Invincible Gem, who placed seventh in Monday’s same trial, is down to take on Happy Clapper next-up on September 2 in the Group 2 $200,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m).

Triple Group 1 winner Le Romain also races on September 2 but the $2.2 million earner will head south embarking on a Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival bid starting at Caulfield in the Group 1 $1 million Memsie Stakes (1400m).

Le Romain is set to arrive in Victoria this coming Saturday where he will tune up for the Memsie Stakes with a hit-out at Caulfield the following Tuesday.

“It was just a trial to keep him ticking over, he wasn’t out there to do a lot,” Lees told Racing Victoria of Le Romain’s soft effort on Monday.

“He will have a hit-out at Caulfield on Tuesday and that will have him ready for the Memsie.”

Lees chases his first Memsie Stakes success and is rated a genuine hope of taking out the weight-for-age classic with Le Romain sitting at $6.50 in pre-nomination markets at Ladbrokes.com.au.

The Darren Weir-trained defending Memsie Stakes winner Black Heart Bart shares the first line of futures markets with Vega Magic after pulling up well from his first-up third behind Hartnell last Saturday in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.

The bookies are taking no chances with the 1400m specialist despite Weir’s thoughts Black Heart Bart might be saving his peak fitness for third-up.

Weir may have also uncovered another Memsie Stakes contender over the weekend with a big run at Caulfield by his Japanese import Brave Smash.

A five-year-old stallion by Tosen Phantom, the Australian Bloodstock-raced Brave Smash debuted down under finishing just a quarter-length second to Lindsay Park’s The Goodwood winner Vega Magic in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m).

Coming from near last on the turn, Brave Smash showed off a scintillating turn of foot to finish in the money ahead of a possible Memsie Stakes run.

There has also been plenty of early interest by slot-holders in Brave Smash contesting the Restricted $10 million The Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 14.

Brave Smash currently sits as a $9 single figure fancy in early Memsie Stakes odds and is listed at $26 in futures The Everest betting to make the line-up and take out the country’s newest feature race.

Head to Ladbrokes.com.au now for all the best Group 1 spring racing odds online this season.