So You Are receives another Cup weight penalty

Racing Victoria (RV) Head of Handicapping, David Hegan, has today issued a 0.5kg weight penalty for the second time to So You Are in the $10.2 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on 3 November.

The Sydney-trained, Queensland-owned stayer rises from 52.5kg to 53kg and moves to 35th in the order of entry after being penalised for his victory in the Group 3 ATC St Leger Stakes (2600m) at Randwick on Saturday.

The five-year-old gelding, who has struck a purple patch of form this spring for new trainer Bjorn Baker, was penalised 0.5kg for his victory in the Group 3 Colin Stephen Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill at his previous start.

“So You Are is in a rich vein of form and was very strong over the concluding stages of the ATC St Leger suggesting the two miles of the Lexus Melbourne Cup will be to his liking if he secures a start,” Hegan said.

“Today’s 0.5kg penalty takes him to 53kg, which is 6.5kg below the weight-for-age benchmark for an older male horse. That places him 35th in the order of entry so he will need attrition to gain a start in the Cup, but history says that he will go close.”

With Saturday’s $6.55 million Sportsbet Caulfield Cup (2400m) winner Kingswood not entered for the Melbourne Cup, no other horses were eligible for handicapping penalties, but the weekend’s staying features still delivered plenty of movement in the order of entry.

Caulfield Cup runner-up Saint George passed the first elimination clause with his second place, rocketing from equal 50th to 22nd and bringing to five the number of horses that trainer Ciaron Maher currently has in the top 24 for the Melbourne Cup.

His stablemates Kings Valley and Zahrann also inched closer to a start with the prizemoney from their fifth and sixth placings in the Caulfield Cup lifting them one place each to 46th and 26th respectively.

The other horse to make a move across the weekend was John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s lightly raced import Klondike whose third placing in the ATC St Leger saw him pass the first elimination clause and leap from 54th to 33rd where he sits with 53.5kg.

This week shapes as a defining one for many Melbourne Cup aspirants with the last two golden tickets on offer commencing with the $500,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m) on Wednesday.

The winner of this Saturday’s $750,000 Group 2 Ladbrokes Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at Flemington will then grab the last ballot exemption into the great race.

Following that, third acceptances for the Melbourne Cup will be taken at 10am next Monday, 26 October before the $500,000 Group 3 Ladbrokes Bendigo Cup (2400m) on Wednesday, 28 October provides a final chance to secure a start through a handicapping penalty and/or prizemoney boost.

To view the updated Lexus Melbourne Cup order of entry, please click here.