Scenic Lodge sires Blackfriars and Universal Ruler dominated their rivals with record-breaking WA premiership wins for season 2017-18.

Blackfriars, who died in December 2017, captured his 8th title in succession with earnings of $5,638,713.  It was his best-ever season in terms of prizemoney and he also topped the tables for wins (97) and winners (161).

He sired three stakes winners – Come Play With Me, Like A Butterfly & Friar Fox – while his chief earner for the fourth year in a row was Black Heart Bart.  The WA Horse of the Year was Group 1 placed in the Memsie Stakes, Makybe Diva Stakes and Railway Stakes for prizemoney of $501,000.

Black Heart Bart resumed for his latest spring campaign with a pleasing fourth in the G3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.  A trip to Hong Kong in December is also being considered by trainer Darren Weir.

“It would be great if we could go to Hong Kong,” said stable foreman Jarrod McLean.  “We are certainly going to get the process started and have him inoculated.  If they resolve the current quarantine problems getting back into Australia, it could be on the cards.”

Blackfriars added his first sire-of-sires crown with Playing God.  The Mungrup Stud freshman also finished in the Australian Top 10 with earnings of $363,289.

Universal Ruler surged late-season to annex the 2YO premiership with prizemoney and Westspeed bonuses of $843,435.  It was the highest winning total in WA since Oratorio in 2009-10.

The Simon Miller-trained filly Lady Cosmology was his divisional leader winning the LR Supremacy Stakes and running seconds in the G2 Karrakatta Plate and G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes.

Universal Ruler (Scenic) sired a winning double at Belmont on Saturday with stablemates Abdicator and The Velvet King.  Trainer Darren McAuliffe indicated both gallopers have black-type assignments ahead – Abdicator will be set for next month’s LR Hannans Hcp in Kalgoorlie while The Velvet King’s summer targets will include the G3 Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic.

BLACK HEART BART