Japanese star Mer De Glace has been issued with a 1kg penalty for the Melbourne Cup following his dominant win in Saturday's Caulfield Cup.
Racing Victoria Executive General Manager – Racing Greg Carpenter announced that Mer De Glace will now carry 56kg in the $8 milion Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 5, 1kg more than his weight last Saturday.
The Hisashi Shimizu-trained five-year-old became the 10th Japanese-trained horse to contest the Caulfield Cup and the second to win the world's richest 2400m handicap, joining the 2014 winner Admire Rakti.
Mer de Glace's win made him exempt from the ballot for the Melbourne Cup and moved him from 60th on the ballot order to equal first alongside Steel Prince and Surprise Baby.
The Danny O'Brien-trained Vow And Declare earned $700,000 for his second placing in the Caulfield Cup and as a result has moved from 36th to 30th on the order of entry.
Carpenter said Mer de Glace was "enormously impressive" winning a very competitive renewal of the Caulfield Cup.
"The first six placegetters officially finished within two lengths of each of other and there was a litany of hard luck stories from the beaten runners," Carpenter said.
"The 1kg penalty is the same given to Caulfield Cup winners Boom Time (2017), Mongolian Khan (2015), Dunaden (2012) and Viewed (2009) over the last decade.
"Mer De Glace faces a new challenge in the Melbourne Cup over 3200m at Flemington and a new wave of challengers given 17 of the top 24 horses in the current Melbourne Cup order of entry did not compete in the Caulfield Cup."
If he takes his place at Flemington Mer de Glace will attempt to become the first horse to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double since New Zealand mare Ethereal in 2001.
Since then 12 Caulfield Cup winners have contested the Melbourne Cup with none able to achieve a top three finish and only five finishing in the first 10 at Flemington.
Carpenter noted that the last Melbourne Cup winner to compete in the Caulfield Cup in the same year was Viewed in 2008. He ran 10th at Caulfield before winning the Flemington feature.
Since 2008 81 Caulfield Cup runners have contested the Melbourne Cup with the best placed finishers being Johannes Vermeer (second in 2017) and a trio of thirds by Lucas Cranach (2011), Jakkalberry (2012) and Who Shot Thebarman (2014).
Carpenter also advised that Hush Writer, the imported winner of Saturday's ATC St Leger (2600m) at Randwick could not be penalised for the Melbourne Cup as the race does not carry black type status.
