Odds are shortening that Americain will miss the Caulfield Cup and run in the Moonee Valley Cup ahead of a defence of his Melbourne Cup next month.
Connections have explored their options including Saturday’s Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and even an attempt at back to back Geelong Cups on Wednesday week.
Americain has 58kg in the Caulfield Cup on October 15 and if he doesn’t run weights for that race would be raised two kilos, making Midas Touch the 57kg top weight which is the minimum top weight.
If weights rise, favourite December Draw will carry 54kg allowing Michael Rodd to maintain his association with Sunday’s Turnbull Stakes winner.
Americain wasn’t entered on Monday for the Caulfield Stakes and connections are leaning towards to missing Caulfield Cup and running the with 58kg under the set weight and handicap conditions of the Moonee Valley Cup.
A final decision is likely to be made late on Monday night when part-owner Gerry Ryan talks to trainer Alain de Royer Dupre in France.
Maximum top weight of 59kg in the Moonee Valley race is reserved for a horse who is five years of age or older and who has won two or more Group One races of 2000 metres or further.
American’s only Group One win was last year’s Melbourne Cup (3200m) with 54.5kg.
Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter confirmed on Monday that Americain’s connections had spoken to him regarding Americain.
“They contacted me a week ago but I don’t know which way they are going to go,” Carpenter said.
“But there is a ground swell of opinion they will go for the Moonee Valley Cup.”
“He doesn’t even get the maximum (weight) in that race.”
Carpenter said Americain, who won last year’s Geelong Cup with 58kg, would get as much as 62kg should he try to become the first dual post-war winner.
“It would be 61 kilos plus anyway,” Carpenter said.
Last year Americain carried the second highest winning weight since the race became a 2400-metre (1-1/2 mile) event in 1947.
Craftsman is the highest weighted post-war winner of the Geelong Cup, lugging 60.5kg on a heavy track in 1966.
That same year he was topweight for the Caulfield Cup with 60kg but did not run.
AAP TURF
