Caulfield Cup winner Durston has been penalised 2kg for his win in Saturday’s staying feature.
Racing Victoria head of handicapping David Hegan on Monday afternoon announced the penalty, which takes the Chris Waller-trained import’s Melbourne Cup weight to 53.5kg.
The seven-year-old son of Sea The Stars carried 51.5kg to a short-neck win over 57.5kg topweight Gold Trip in the 2400m Caulfield Cup.
It is the second Melbourne Cup penalty issued to Durston this spring after being hit with a 1.5kg penalty after his win in the Newcastle Cup (2300m) on September 16.
“The 2kg penalty for Durston gives consideration to his weight in the 2022 Melbourne Cup relative to his beaten rivals in the Caulfield Cup, together with his overall form profile which now includes three black type wins at his last four starts,” Hegan said.
“Saturday’s margin of a short neck is not indicative of the impressive manner of Durston’s victory, his ability to overcome trouble and put himself into a position to win and again show impressive acceleration like he did in the Newcastle Cup.
“Whilst the 2kg penalty is greater than that handed to recent Caulfield Cup winners, it is important to note that each of them was higher in the weight scale at the time of their victory and that Durston still remains 6kg below the weight-for-age benchmark.
“With 51.5kg Durston was the lowest weighted winner of the Caulfield Cup since Master O’Reilly carried 50.5kg to victory in 2007. That horse was subsequently penalised 3kg rising to 53.5kg in the Melbourne Cup where he finished eighth.”
The 2kg penalty handed to Durston is the same afforded to Ethereal when she completed the Cups double, along with subsequent Caulfield Cup winners Railings (2005), Tawqeet (2006) and All The Good (2008).
Durston now heads the order of entry for the Melbourne Cup, with the Caulfield Cup winner exempt from ballot for the Flemington feature, while two other Caulfield Cup runners leapt up the order of entry after their runs on Saturday.
Past winner Vow And Declare jumped from 40th to 17th after his sixth placing saw him pass the first elimination clause, while fifth placegetter Numerian did likewise and is now 12th in order of entry.
As a result, beaten Caulfield Cup favourite Smokin’ Romans has been shuffled back from 26th to 29th in order of entry.
