The Verminator has been penalised two kilograms in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups for his win in Saturday’s Group One Metropolitan at Randwick.
Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter announced the penalties on Tuesday which are the same as the past two winners of the Metropolitan, Speed Gifted and Herculian Prince.
Trained by Chris Waller, The Verminator will now carry 52kg in both Cups but is more likely to be saved for the Melbourne Cup.
“The Verminator was a dominant winner as were Speed Gifted and Herculian Prince and he has also won the Wyong Cup since the release of Caulfield Cup weights on August 30,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter decided against issuing penalties to Group Three JRA Cup winner Dream Pedlar and Listed Ansett Classic winner I’m Jake because of the standard of the fields they beat in their respective races on Friday night and Saturday.
Sunday’s winner of The Bart Cummings, Mourayan, who ended a 21-start losing sequence to claim his first Australian win, also escaped a penalty.
“Mourayan already has 53.5kg in both Cups, based around his second placings at Group One level in the 2010 Metropolitan Handicap and 2011 BMW, run at weight-for-age, and this represents the same weight he ran with when 13th in last years Caulfield Cup,” Carpenter said.
The 2010 winner of The Bart Cummings, Harris Tweed, also escaped a Cup penalty last year before finishing second in the Caulfield Cup.
However Harris Tweed will be missing from the Cups this year after he was officially withdrawn on Monday from both races following his lacklustre performance behind Mourayan in The Bart Cummings.
New Zealand trainer Murray Baker’s hopes of claiming another big feature during the Spring Racing Carnival now rest with recent Underwood Stakes winner Lion Tamer who is entered for both Cups and the Cox Plate.
Lion Tamer,will run in Saturday’s Caulfield Stakes (2000m) and is currently $9 favourite for the Melbourne Cup with TAB Sportsbet and $15 fourth favourite for the Caulfield Cup.
Third acceptances for the Caulfield Cup and first acceptances for the Melbourne Cup will be taken at 12 noon on Tuesday.
AAP TURF
