Half Yours re-handicapped for Lexus Melbourne Cup

Racing Victoria (RV) Head of Handicapping, David Hegan, has today issued a 2kg penalty in the $10 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) to Saturday’s $5 million Sportsbet Caulfield Cup (2400m) winner Half Yours.

The penalty sees the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained five-year-old rise from 51kg to 53kg for Australia’s most famous race to be run on Tuesday, 4 November at Flemington. 

Half Yours will be striving to become just the 13th horse to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double and in doing so provide the McEvoys and star jockey Jamie Melham with maiden Melbourne Cup success.   

The 2kg penalty handed to Half Yours is the same afforded to Durston after his win in the 2022 Caulfield Cup and prior to that Railings (2005), Tawqeet (2006) and All The Good (2008) following their triumphs at Caulfield.

Hegan said: “Half Yours carried a penalty from the Naturalism into the Caulfield Cup, but as an emerging stayer he was still down in the weights with 52.5kg and that proved beneficial in winning his first Group 1 race.

“Half Yours accelerated from the 400m to 200m mark better than any other horse in the field which was crucial. He kept surging to the line in the manner of a horse that will get over more ground. Whilst the margin wasn’t huge, it was a decisive win.

“With the different weight scales this year between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups he remained on the limit weight for the Melbourne Cup going into Saturday’s race.

“The 2kg penalty lifts Half Yours off the limit to 53kg and importantly it provides relief to those horses he defeated on Saturday come the Melbourne Cup. 

“Those that finished behind him in the Caulfield Cup will now meet Half Yours between 1.5kg and 2.5kg better in the Melbourne Cup which gives them a chance to bridge the gap.

“The 2kg penalty is the same handed to Durston in 2022 and they both have a similar profile winning off a low weight in the Caulfield Cup and in doing so posting their third win from their last four black type starts with a close-up finish in a Group 1 race wedged between.” 

Half Yours’ Caulfield Cup victory, his seventh from just 14 starts, has seen the horse move to the top of the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry with the race offering the winner a ballot exemption.

The three remaining golden tickets into the Melbourne Cup are on offer this week for eligible winners of the $500,000 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m) on Wednesday, the $750,000 Ladbrokes Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Friday night and the $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) on Saturday. 

Fourth acceptances for the Melbourne Cup will be taken at 10am (AEDT) next Monday, 27 October.

Click here to view the updated Melbourne Cup Order of Entry as at 20 October 2025