At today’s reveal of the weights for the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup (2400m), Racing Victoria’s (RV) Head of Handicapping, David Hegan, announced that the defending Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip has been assigned the topweight of 58.5kg for both marquee staying races.
In his first cup weights announcement, Hegan revealed that Gold Trip would carry one kilogram more than last year, when he finished second in the Caulfield Cup before delivering a first victory in Australia’s most iconic race for his trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
Hegan also noted that, in the absence of a natural topweight 12 months ago, all horses were raised one kilogram in the weight scale – meaning Gold Trip’s true weight in 2022 was 56.5kg. The increase to 58.5kg provides a historical challenge for Gold Trip, as Think Big was the last horse to carry more than 58kg to victory in either cup when he won the Melbourne Cup in 1975 with 58.5kg on his back.
Another French-bred import, the Mike Moroney-trained Alenquer – who is yet to pass the ballot for the Caulfield Cup – comes next in the weights on 56.5kg alongside Aidan O’Brien’s Group 1 winner Broome, who is nominated for the Melbourne Cup only.
Current Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban – who entered pre-export quarantine facilities in the UK over the weekend – has been allotted 55kg as he bids to build on his burgeoning reputation following back-to-back wins, including a seven-length romp at Royal Ascot. His renowned Irish trainer Willie Mullins came close to claiming ‘the race that stops a nation’ in 2015, when Frankie Dettori finished runner-up on Max Dynamite – who raced in the same distinctive pink silks as Vauban.
Hegan said: “Gold Trip is the standout performer among the entries for both Cups and the natural topweight with Broome the only Group 1 winner among an international contingent that boasts an assortment of rapidly emerging stayers.
“We have effectively lifted Gold Trip 2kg from his true weight last year, which is less than the penalty afforded other Melbourne Cup winners in recent times, however we are mindful that it is 48 years since a horse has carried 58.5kg to victory in either Cup so a significant challenge awaits.
“Beyond Gold Trip, the story with this year’s entries for mine is the array of emerging talent in the mid-to-lower range of the scale, young horses and those promising plenty that can put their name up in lights in this year’s Cups but can’t be handicapped on potential.
“Imports like Soulcombe, Francesco Guardi, Hoo Ya Mal and Just Fine, the Roy Higgins winner Goldman, and last season’s Derby winners Kovalica, Major Beel and Sharp ‘N’ Smart, all sit in the 52kg to 54kg range and have demonstrated the ability to be highly competitive.
“With the weights now assigned and the initial orders of entry confirmed, the ball is now in the court of the trainers to secure a start in either Cup and have their horses peaking on the day, and for jockeys to secure a mount in our two most iconic staying races.”
$5.15 million Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup (2400m), Caulfield, Saturday, 21 October 2023
Trainer Chris Waller holds a strong hand as he chases back-to-back Caulfield Cup wins and his third in the past four years, following victories for Durston (2022) and Verry Elleegant (2020).
Francesco Guardi (54kg) currently holds favouritism for Caulfield’s flagship event, with fellow Waller entry Soulcombe (53.5kg) on the second line of betting thanks in part to his scintillating win in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes (1700m) at Caulfield at the start of the month.
Their new stablemate Montefilia, who caught the eye when she hit the line powerfully in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at the weekend, has been assigned 54.5kg as she bids to improve on her fourth-place finish in each of the past two editions of the Caulfield Cup.
Tatsuya Yoshioka’s six-year-old Breakup will carry 55kg in his quest to become the third Japanese horse to win the Caulfield Cup, following Mer De Glace (2019) and Admire Rakti (2014).
His fellow international West Wind Blows, set to make his Australian debut in the Group 1 TAB Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on 7 October, has been allocated 54kg for Simon Crisford, who trains in tandem with his son Ed. The UK pair are the former trainers of in-form stayer Without A Fight (55.5kg), now under the care of another father-son team in Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Of the four-year-old contenders, the Waller-trained pair Manzoice (53kg) and Kovalica (53.5kg) could look to add the Caulfield Cup to their wins in the Derby in Victoria and Queensland respectively; whilst Sharp ‘N’ Smart (53.5kg), who chased home Manzoice in the Penfolds Victoria Derby (2500m), will have his admirers having won three Group 1s for the Graeme and Deborah Rogerson training team.
Right You Are (53kg) is currently the only horse guaranteed a start in the Caulfield Cup courtesy of his tough win earlier this year in the Listed Neds Mornington Cup (2400m). Two golden tickets will be up for grabs at Caulfield this Saturday (23 September), with the winners of both the Group 1 Live Life Foundation Underwood Stakes (1800m) and the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) offered a starting berth.
$8.4 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m), Flemington, Tuesday 7 November 2023
The first three home in the 2022 Melbourne Cup are all on track to return to Flemington this year, with runner-up Emissary (52kg) and Gold Trip’s stablemate High Emocean (50kg) both setting their sights on securing a start in the 163rd edition of the world-famous two-mile contest.
One horse guaranteed a place on the starting line is Goldman (52kg), the convincing winner of the Listed Lexus Roy Higgins (2600m) for the training team of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. Goldman will be aiming to deliver a second Melbourne Cup for the first lady of Australian racing, who may have unearthed another live contender in the form of Just Fine (52.5kg). The Irish import made it two wins from his two Australian starts with a dominant display in the Kingston Town Stakes on Saturday.
Grahame Begg’s Listed Lexus Andrew Ramsden (2800m) winner Lunar Flare (51.5kg) is also exempt from the ballot, as is Vauban’s stablemate Absurde (53kg), who secured his golden ticket with victory in the Ebor Handicap (2816m) at York (UK) last month with Frankie Dettori in the saddle.
The last Ebor Handicap winner to contest the Melbourne Cup was Mustajeer, who carried 55kg when he ran 23rd in 2019. No horse has completed the unique double, with Heartbreak City and Purple Moon coming closest when they finished runner-up at Flemington in 2016 and 2007 respectively.
Another notable international entry is Desert Hero (51.5kg), who has been nominated by his trainer William Haggas for the Melbourne Cup only. Bred by the late Queen Elizabeth II and owned by her son, King Charles III, the northern hemisphere three-year-old backed up his win in the King George V Stakes (2414m) at Royal Ascot with victory in the Group 3 Gordon Stakes (2414m) at Goodwood in August.
The horse he beat home in the King George, Valiant King (50kg), entered quarantine over the weekend ahead of his attempt to win a third Melbourne Cup for his Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien. His stable companion Okita Soushi, who is also bound for Melbourne, has been assigned 51.5kg.
Second acceptances for the Caulfield Cup close at 12pm (AEST) on Tuesday, 26 September. Melbourne Cup first acceptances will be taken one week later at 12pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, 3 October.
Click here to view the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup weights
Click here to view the Lexus Melbourne Cup weights