Black Heart Bart is being backed like a sure thing in Futurity Stakes 2017 betting for this weekend in Melbourne, the Darren Weir-trained champion at an odds-on price to post his fifth Group 1 win.

One of the highlights on the Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes Day card, Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) features just nine runners led by the Darren Weir-trained Perth expat.

Six-year-old Black Heart Bart put the writing on the wall second-up on February 11 saluting at the same track and distance with a gutsy win in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m).

The Blackfriars gelding saluted for the punters that day at odds of $3.70 and is now the very short-priced favourite in the Futurity Stakes odds paying $1.80 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Favourites have won five of the past seven editions of the Futurity Stakes, while the CF Orr Stakes – Futurity Stakes double was last achieved by Moment Of Change (2014).

Since joining the record-breaking Victorian stables of Weir from WA, Black Heart Bart has enjoyed four Group 1 victories and five seconds in elite level company.

It is an imposing record and one that explains the odds-on price for Saturday.

Jockey Brad Rawiller retains the ride on Black Heart Bart in the Futurity Stakes field and is full of pre-race confidence.

“He’s had three starts over the Caulfield 1400 metres and won them all,” Rawiller told AAP.

“So I just think he’s well-placed and he’s the horse to beat, simple as that.

“He hasn’t gone backwards. He’s coming along beautifully and he’s going to run a great race again on the weekend.

“I just go into the weekend very confident.”

Two other Futurity Stakes runners are under double-figures to score an upset with the defending champion Turn Me Loose ($7) and the fellow Weir-trained Palentino ($7.50).

Murray Baker’s Kiwi raider Turn Me Loose won the Futurity Stakes last Melbourne Autumn Racing Carnival off a CF Orr Stakes fourth and ran second to Black Heart Bart in the same lead-up this campaign.

Palentino meanwhile is a four-year-old Teofilo stallion out to improve on the close fourth in the CF Orr Stakes as a $26 roughie when only one and a half-lengths beaten.

He is unplaced in four previous Caulfield runs, but is tipped as the improver getting home late.

The next best in betting are Weir’s Japanese import Tosen Stardom ($11) in barrier two for dual Futurity Stakes winning jockey Craig Williams and stablemate Lucky Hussler ($11).

Williams’ previous Futurity Stakes victories were aboard the David Hayes-trained Niconero (2008-09) who was the last back-to-back winner in the weight-for-age feature.

Check out the latest Futurity Stakes 2017 odds below, betting open now at Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost (T&Cs apply).

2017 Futurity Stakes Odds