Onesmoothoperator handed weight penalty for the Lexus Melbourne Cup

Onesmoothoperator has been penalised 1kg for next week’s $10 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) after his impressive win in the Group 2 Ladbrokes Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m), with the British raider now set to carry 53kg at his second start in Australia’s most famous race. 

Twelve months after claiming the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m), the Brian Ellison-trained stayer doubled his tally of victories on Australian shores when he justified favouritism in the $750,000 feature race at The Valley on Friday night.

That performance under Mark Zahra persuaded Racing Victoria’s Head of Handicapping, David Hegan, to hand Onesmoothoperator a weight penalty as the northern hemisphere seven-year-old aims to improve on a luckless 12th in last year’s Melbourne Cup when he carried 51kg off a minimum of 50kg.

“Onesmoothoperator was simply too good for his rivals on Friday night,” said Hegan. 

“Despite carrying the equal topweight of 57kg, he blitzed his rivals late to win eased down in stunning fashion. The dynamic nature of his performance rated above his Geelong Cup win last year, when he was penalised 1kg, and so he warrants a further re-handicap.”

The Moonee Valley Gold Cup proved a solid form race for the Melbourne Cup last year, with Okita Soushi – who was also assigned a 1kg penalty – finishing third in ‘the race that stops a nation’ 11 days later.

In other news, Hegan has opted against penalising the Paul Preusker-trained Torranzino for his narrow defeat of Gilded Water in last Thursday’s rescheduled Group 3 $500,000 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m), which guaranteed the six-year-old a start in the Melbourne Cup where he will carry 51kg. 

Likewise, Group 3 Schweppes JRA Cup (2040m) winner Star Of India won't receive a penalty for his victory on Saturday at The Valley. The Chris Waller-trained gelding, who is yet to pass the first ballot clause for the Melbourne Cup without a relevant black type placing over 2300m or further, remains on the minimum of 51kg in the Melbourne Cup. 
 

Third acceptances for the Melbourne Cup, to be run at Flemington on Tuesday, 4 November, close at 10am today with an updated Order of Entry to be issued during the day.