Racing Victoria handicapper Greg Carpenter has issued Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise a challenge if he is to win the Melbourne Cup.
The Peter Moody-trained stayer was on Monday issued a 1.5kg penalty for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 2, taking his weight to 57kg after his stunning Caulfield Cup (2400m) victory on Saturday.
Incentivise will be aiming to become the 12th horse to complete the Caulfield – Melbourne Cup double and first since Ethereal in 2001.
Since Ethereal’s win, 14 Caulfield Cup winners have gone on to compete in the Melbourne Cup, however not one has finished in the top three.
And to make the job tougher, no horse since Gold Black in 1977 has carried 57kg or more to victory apart from the 58kg Makybe Diva carried in the third of her Melbourne Cup wins in 2005.
“It is a big challenge, and we are comfortable the 1.5 kilo penalty, taking him to 57 kilos, is the right assessment,” Carpenter said.
“If you look at the 11 horses that have won the double, there has only been one horse to carry 57 kilos or more in winning the Melbourne Cup and that was Rising Fast.
“Galilee was one of the great champions and he had 56.5 kilos. Might And Power, he carried 56 kilos.
“People will get very excited about the win on Saturday, but 57 kilos is a very challenging weight and when we decide the weight, we have to sit back a little bit from the excitement of such a rapidly improving horse and make an assessment of what is fair to him and the opposition.
“He was very impressive winning on Saturday and along with Jameeka, who won by three lengths five years ago, probably the most impressive winner since Might And Power won by 7-½ lengths and broke the track record in 1997 going on to win the Melbourne Cup double in a very close finish with Doriemus carrying 56 kilos.”
The rise to 57kg takes Incentivise to the same weight as Verry Elleegant, Spanish Mission and Gold Trip and is 1kg less than last year’s winner Twilight Payment.
TAB responded to the news of the 1.5kg penalty, shortening Incentivise’s quote from $2.50 into $2.30.