Spanish Mission topweight for Caulfield and Melbourne Cups with all horses to carry 1kg more

Greg Carpenter announced his final set of Caulfield and Melbourne Cup weights which was “a bit more complicated” than previous years.

Spanish Mission (right) is topweight for Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup favourite Duais (left) was given 55.5kg. Picture: Vince Caligiuri-Getty Images

Outgoing chief handicapper Greg Carpenter says the absence of defending champions or a star European stayer complicated the task of compiling this year’s Caulfield and Melbourne Cup weights.

Last year’s Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise is injured, Melbourne Cup queen Verry Elleegant is competing in France and top European stayer Kyprios was not among first acceptors for Melbourne’s big races.

Their absence left the Peter Moody-trained Spanish Mission, who ran third in last year’s Melbourne Cup, as the compulsory 58kg topweight for both Cups.

FULL LIST: MELBOURNE CUP AND CAULFIELD CUP WEIGHTS

Carpenter, who leaves Racing Victoria shortly to take up a job with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, said Spanish Mission has 1kg more than he would have received in most years.

“When you haven’t got those elite European stayers or those defending champions, it does make it a bit more complicated,” Carpenter said.

“It has been a complication this year.

“As a consequence, most of the horses on the limit weight have generally been given a kilo more than they would have expected in any other year.

“Any other horses that would normally be off the minimum have all gone up a kilo as well to meet that scale.

“Because of that requirement, some trainers will see their weight and think, ‘gee that’s more than I thought I was going to get’.”

Greg Carpenter says horses have been given 1kg more than they would have received in other years. Picture: George Sal-Racing Photos

Carpenter pointed out the fact the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup are unusual races in Australia as they do not require the topweight to carry a minimum topweight.

The Cups only require the topweight to have a 58kg handicap at the time the weights are released.

“Once the weights are released today, the only change to those weights is via penalty for both races,” Carpenter said.

New RV chief handicapper David Hegan can only apply Caulfield and Melbourne Cup weight penalties for performances in lead-up races run under handicap conditions, not weight-for-age contests.

Carpenter said Racing Victoria, the Victoria Racing Club and the Melbourne Racing Club could review the policy in the coming years.

“For both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups to remain relevant into the future, they both have to keep evolving as does that art of handicapping,” Carpenter said.

“It is something that should be addressed into the future.

“It may well be there is a collective agreement between handicapping and the clubs that the 58 (kg) requirement at the release of weights might be something that is reviewed in the future.”

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gold Trip has 57.5kg while leading Caulfield and Melbourne Cups fancy Duais is one of six runners on 55.5kg along with the likes of Montefilia, Loft and Without A Fright.

Originally published as Spanish Mission topweight for Caulfield and Melbourne Cups with all horses to carry 1kg more