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Order Of St George and Protectionist have been given the joint topweight of 58kg for the 2016 Melbourne Cup.
Aidan O’Brien’s Ascot Gold Cup winner Order of St George and 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup champion Protectionist will need to break a 66-year hoodoo if they are to emerge victorious in this year’s $6.2 million Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Racing Victoria (RV) Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, unveiled the weights for the world’s richest handicap, allocating the internationally-trained pair topweight of 58kg for the 1 November feature at Flemington Racecourse.Carpenter explained that an original topweight has not won the Melbourne Cup since the Jim Cummings-trained Comic Court raced to victory in 1950 when carrying 59.5kg.
“There have been 23 original topweights contest the Melbourne Cup since Comic Court’s win in 1950 and none have placed, so Order Of St George and Protectionist would rightfully earn their place among the Cup’s true greats if they were to be successful,” Carpenter said.“The handicap presents a challenge to both Order of St George and Protectionist, however they have earned their position at the head of the weights based on their performances over the past 12 months.
“Order of St George was a dominant winner of last year’s Irish St Leger by 11 lengths, and also won the Ascot Gold Cup at Royal Ascot earlier this year with ease. He is at the head of the weights despite being beaten in a shock result in this year’s Irish St Leger at The Curragh on Sunday.“There has not been a more impressive winner of the Melbourne Cup in recent years than Protectionist when he took out the 2014 edition. He has returned to that form in winning his last three starts on-end for Andreas Wohler including the Grosser Preis von Berlin.”
In the last 40 years, 35 horses have carried 58kg or more in the Melbourne Cup, with only Makybe Diva (58kg, 2005) being able to win the race.Protectionist is one of two previous Emirates Melbourne Cup winners among the 123 nominations, with Darren Weir’s reigning Cup champion, Prince of Penzance, allocated 56.5kg – 3.5kg more than he carried to victory in 2015.
The 3.5kg penalty is the same given to Americain (2011) and Dunaden (2012) following their respective Melbourne Cup victories.Prince of Penzance and Protectionist are striving to join Makybe Diva (2003, 04, 05), Think Big (1974, 75), Rain Lover (1968, 69), Peter Pan (1932, 34) and Archer (1861, 62) as the only multiple winners of the Melbourne Cup.
Aidan O’Brien’s Great Voltiguer winner Idaho, who dislodged his rider when hot favourite in Saturday’s English St Leger, has been rated a half-kilo better than Prince Of Penzance and Preferment, with his handicap of 53kg sitting just 2.5kg below the benchmark weight-for-age figure.“Idaho has been incredibly impressive this season in winning the Great Voltiguer and finishing in the placings in both the Irish and English Derbies,” Carpenter said.
“The 53kg I have allocated him as a northern hemisphere three-year-old is the same as 57kg for an older horse, with both being 2.5kg below the weight-for-age benchmark.”Idaho is one of seven entries for O’Brien, who saddled Bondi Beach (16th) and Kingfisher (19th) in last year’s Emirates Melbourne Cup. Order Of St George, Bondi Beach (55kg, carried 52.5kg as a northern hemisphere three-year-old in 2015), Housesofparliament (50kg), Sword Fighter (50kg), The Major General (50kg) and Unicorn (50kg) round out his septet.
Michael Bell’s 2016 Goodwood Cup winner Big Orange, who finished fifth in last year’s Emirates Melbourne Cup, has been allocated 56kg (carried 55.5kg in 2015) as has brilliant French stallion Erupt and the Lee and Anthony Freedman-prepared Our Ivanhowe (carried 56kg in 2015).Curren Mirotic, the sole Japanese-trained Cup nomination, has been allocated 55.5kg in his attempt to win Japan’s second Melbourne Cup, while Willie Mullins’ last-start St Leger winner Wicklow Brave has been allocated 55kg as he seeks to secure the first Cup for an Irish-trained horse since Dermot Weld’s famous victory with Media Puzzle in 2002.
Last-start Kentucky Turf Cup winner Da Big Hoss, the only North American-prepared stayer in the field, has also been allocated 55kg.The other runners allocated 55kg or more are Preferment (56.5kg, carried 53.5kg as a four-year-old in 2015), The United States (55.5kg, carried 52.5kg in 2015), Exosphere (GB) (55kg), Hartnell (55kg, carried 55.5kg in 2015) and Who Shot Thebarman (55kg, carried 54.5kg in 2015).
Other notable entries and their weights are;• Scottish (54.5kg) – The headline stayer from yard of premier UK trainer Charlie Appleby, Scottish is one of 10 Godolphin-owned stayers trained internationally that hold a Cup nomination;
• Tarzino (54kg) – Last year’s VRC Derby-winning three-year-old, Tarzino is the equal highest-weighted southern hemisphere four-year-old with the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Tavago;• Almoonqith (53.5kg – carried 53kg in 2015) – Winner of last year’s Sandown Cup and Geelong Cup, Almoonqith will look to provide owners Shadwell Stud a third Melbourne Cup win following the deeds of At Talaq (1986) and Jeune (1994);
• Tosen Stardom (53.5kg) – Former Japanese-trained galloper, Tosen Stardom is one of 51 horses yet to pass the first ballot for the Emirates Melbourne Cup;• Signoff (53.5kg) – An eye-catching fourth in the 2014 Cup behind Protectionist, Signoff’s handicap of 53.5kg is 2kg more than he carried 24 months ago;
• Heartbreak City (53kg) – Prepared by Irish horseman Tony Martin, Heartbreak City is attempting to become the first horse to complete the Ebor Handicap-Melbourne Cup double;• Jameka (51.5kg) – Last year’s Crown Oaks winner, Jameka’s handicap is 5kg under weight-for-age benchmark and the most weight allocated to a southern hemisphere four-year-old mare;
• Real Love (51.5kg) – Former Perth Cup-winning mare now prepared by Darren Weir, Real Love is one of 11 Melbourne Cup nominations from last year’s champion trainer;• Set Square (51.5kg) – Prepared by Ciaron Maher, Set Square has gone without a win since her 2014 Crown Oaks triumph at Flemington Racecourse;
• Housesofparliament (50kg) – A last-start third in the English St Leger, northern hemisphere three-year-old Housesofparliament’s handicap of 50kg is 6kg below benchmark weight and 0.5kg less than Mahler carried when third in the 2007 Cup.First acceptances for the Melbourne Cup will be taken at 12 noon (AEST) on Tuesday, 4 October.
