The absence of what Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter described as a ‘natural topweight’ means Spanish Mission heads weights for this year’s Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup.
The Peter Moody-trained stayer was on Tuesday revealed as the 58kg topweight for the two feature handicap races of the Victorian spring.
Spanish Mission ran third in last year’s Melbourne Cup with 57kg but has risen 1kg due to the need for a 58kg topweight at the release of weights.
Carpenter described his 18th and final set of Cups weights among the most complicated of his career with the absence of a star European such as Kyprios or Stradivarius or neither defending champion returning meaning all horses were allocated more weight than connections might have expected.
“Most horses have received 1kg more than they would have got in any other year,” Carpenter, who is bound for an administrative role at Hong Kong Jockey Club, said.
“When you haven’t got an elite European stayer or a defending champion it does make it a little more complicated.
“But without a natural topweight there is a necessity to explain that to people and I hope they understand the concept.”
Spanish Mission heads weights for both races from Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained import Gold Trip, who was allotted 57.5kg. Mr Brightside is next in the Caulfield Cup, with 56.5kg, but he is not among the entries for the Melbourne Cup.
Duais, who has long been towards the head of betting in both races, is one of six horses allocated 55.5kg in the Melbourne Cup, a weight also given to Montefilia.
The two five-year-old mares were also allocated 55.5kg in the Caulfield Cup.
“Of the mares to have won the Caulfield Cup only Tranquil Star, with 56kg in 1942, has carried more weight to victory. Verry Elleegant carried 55kg in 2020 and Mannerism shouldered 54.5kg when she won in 1992,” Carpenter said.
“In the Melbourne Cup, Makybe Diva won the race with 55.5kg in 2004 and with 58kg in 2005, whilst last year’s heroine Verry Elleegant had 57kg on her back.”
The James Ferguson-prepared Deauville Legend, the favourite for the Melbourne Cup, has been given 55kg, the same weight as another Northern Hemisphere three-year-old, English St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov.
Vow And Declare is the only past winner of either race among the contenders for this year’s races and the Danny O’Brien-trained seven-year-old, who won the Melbourne Cup in 2019, has been allocated 54kg.
The two three-year-olds among the entries for the Melbourne Cup, Sharp ‘N’ Smart and Skyphios, will both carry 49kg if they attempt to become the first of their vintage to win the race since Skipton in 1941.
MELBOURNE CUP TOPWEIGHTS
58kg: Spanish Mission57.5kg: Gold Trip56kg: Regal Power55.5kg: Duais, Knights Order, Loft, Montefilia, Numerian, Without A Fight55kg: Camorra, Deauville Legend, Eldar Eldarov54.5kg: Earlswood, Western Empire54kg: Stockman, Vow And Declare, Young Werther
CAULFIELD CUP TOPWEIGHTS
58kg: Spanish Mission57.5kg: Gold Trip56.5kg: Mr Brightside56kg: Regal Power55.5kg: Duais, Knights Order, Montefilia, Numerian54.5kg: Earlswood, Noconformist, Western Empire54kg: Mount Popa, Stockman, Vow And Declare