Reigning Australian Horse Of The Year Via Sistina and Irish St Leger winner Al Riffa head the weights for the Melbourne Cup.
Racing Victoria chief handicapper David Hegan released the weights for both the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 4 and the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 18 on Tuesday.
Both Via Sistina and Al Riffa have been allocated 59kg for the Melbourne Cup while Buckaroo and Light Infantry Man have the same weight at the top of the list for the Caulfield Cup.
Both Via Sistina and Al Riffa do not feature among Caulfield Cup entries which necessitated a rise of 2kg to meet the new weight rules for that race.
Hegan explained that this year, after consultation with the clubs and industry participants, the minimum topweight at the release of weights is 59kg with a higher minimum of 51kg, while at acceptance time there must be a minimum topweight of 57kg with all weights rising accordingly.
The presence of Via Sistina in the weights provided Hegan with a natural topweight and it was only after Al Riffa’s win in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Sunday that his 59kg was confirmed.
Hegan said Via Sistina earned her weight through her romp in last year’s Cox Plate, which made her the highest-rated horse amongst the entries.
“Her class is indisputable. If I was weighting the Cup on one run, she would be outright topweight,” Hegan said.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Knight’s Choice has 55kg in this year’s race after carrying 51.5kg to victory last year.
With the added 1kg for the increase in weight, this year’s weight is effectively a rise of 2.5kg on last year’s which Hegan said was in line with previous increases for Cup winners.
Vauban, who had 55kg when 14th in 2023 and 55.5kg when 11th last year, has 56.5kg, effectively the same weight as last year.
Former stablemate Absurde, seventh and fifth respectively in the last two Cups, has 53.5kg, effectively the same as he carried last year.
Hegan said two three-year-old fillies from last year, Aeliana and Treasurethe Moment had been difficult to assess before landing on 53kg for Aeliana and 54kg for Treasurethe Moment in the Melbourne Cup.
“As three-year-olds, Aeliana was the leading rated stayer in the country across the Australian Classifications Panel and internationally when it comes to performance ratings,” Hegan said.
“Since we’ve seen them resume this spring, Treasurethe Moment is clearly the more high-rated horse, but still very hard to assess against open age company and open age horses with 2400-metre and 3200-metre form.
Aeliana was too good for the boys winning by five lengths (ATC Australian Derby) and they’ve both got 2400-metre form and weight-for-age form which is rare for three-year-old fillies.
For a guide last year Zardozi had 51 kilos (when fourth last year), so Aeliana has 53 and Treasurethe Moment 54, which places them ahead of where Zardozi was last year.”
Already assured of Melbourne Cup starts courtesy of ‘win and you’re in’ races, American stayer Parchment Party has 52kg, Deakin (52kg), Revelare (51.5kg) and Basilinna (51kg).
Buckaroo and Light Infantry Man head the Caulfield Cup weights with 59 kilograms with the former tasked with carrying 57kg in the Melbourne Cup.
Already in quarantine for a tilt at the Caulfield Cup are Presage Nocturne (57.5kg), Meydaan (56kg), Absurde (55.5kg) and Golden Snap (53.5kg) with all four horses to carry 2kg less in the Melbourne Cup.
Those four horses are due in Melbourne on September 28, joined by Onesmoothoperator (52kg) who will chase another win in the Geelong Cup on his way to a Melbourne Cup start.
International horses entered in the Melbourne Cup must enter quarantine on September 28 for an arrival in Melbourne on October 14.
