By Michael Manley
In a year when the top weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups have both been raised by a kilogram, the Peter Moody-trained imported galloper Spanish Mission has been assigned the top weight for both races with 58 kilograms.
Racing Victoria’s executive general manager of racing Greg Carpenter stressed that, as weights had to be raised by one kilogram as under the Australian Rules of Racing, the top-weighted horse must carry 58kg.
Carpenter delivered his 18th and final Caulfield and Melbourne Cup weights in his role as chief handicapper as he is moving to Hong Kong to take up a senior position with the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Spanish Mission in the mounting yard prior to the 2021 Melbourne Cup.Credit:Getty Images
“Spanish Mission ran brilliantly when finishing third with 57 kilograms in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, and whilst his connections would have expected to receive a similar mark this year, having determined him as the top-weighted horse, he must carry at least 58kg under the Australian Rules of Racing,” Carpenter said.
Trainer Peter Moody.Credit:Getty Images
“This, in turn, leads to the scale for both races being one kilo higher than if there had been a ‘natural’ topweight, such as the respective Melbourne and Caulfield Cup defending champions, Verry Elleegant and Incentivise, or a leading European stayer like Kyprios, who won the Irish St Leger over the weekend.”
Carpenter also said he also took into consideration Spanish Mission’s overseas form, which included two Group 2 wins and a third placing in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup.
Carpenter used the same criteria for the second topweight in both Cups, with talented former French galloper Gold Trip who has 57.5kg.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained galloper Gold Trip has had one run in Australia for a third in the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill, and in France he was a Group 2 winner and three-time Group 1 placegetter.
The in-form Lindsay Park-trained galloper Mr Brightside was allocated third topweight of 56.5kg in both races, but he is expected to be set for the Cox Plate.
The Bob Peters-owned Regal Power was given third topweight in the Melbourne Cup and fourth topweight in the Caulfield Cup, but he will race in Perth over their summer carnival.
Duais and Montefilia are the highest weight mares, with the equal third topweight of 55.5kg in both Cups.
“Duais finished 16th in the Caufield Cup when carrying 51kg as a four-year-old in 2021, but had an outstanding autumn, winning both the Australian Cup and the Tancred Stakes and, with the higher scale, she has been allocated 55.5kg in both races this year,” Carpenter said.
“It’s a similar story for Montefilia, who carried 52kg when fourth as a four-year-old in last year’s Caulfield Cup, and since then she’s defeated Verry Elleegant when winning the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes.”
Of the 10 internationally-trained horses left in the Melbourne Cup after first acceptances closed last week, Loft (Marcel Weiss) and Without A Fight (Simon and Ed Crisford) are the joint highest in the weights with 55.5kg.
Melbourne Cup favourite and last start winner of the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, the James Ferguson-trained Deauville Legend, has 55kg.
Another northern hemisphere three-year-old, the Roger Varian-trained Eldar Eldarov, which won the Group 1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster at his last start, also has 55kg.
The 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare has been given 54kg in both Cups. Carpenter pointed out he is qualified to start in the Caulfield Cup but needs to finish in the top eight in that race to qualify for the Melbourne Cup.
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