Gai Waterhouse has lashed Melbourne Cup weight scale: ‘They are no longer true handicaps’
The legendary trainer believes the rising stars of the sport are no longer given a chance down in the weights in Australia’s biggest race after the decision was made to compress the weights some time ago.
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Legendary trainer Gai Waterhouse has lashed the weight scales in Australian handicap features, saying the rising stars of the sport don’t get a chance in races like the Melbourne Cup.
Waterhouse, who won the Melbourne Cup with Fiorente in 2013, believes it is “ridiculous” that a horse like Gold Trip will carry 58.5kg in the race that stops the nation, saying it is no longer a “true handicap.”
The daughter of master trainer Tommy Smith and now one of the most respected names in racing, Waterhouse pointed to her father’s stable star Tulloch, who carried 64kg in the 1960 Melbourne Cup.
“They changed the weights a while ago and compressed all these races, the Cup is now so compressed,” Waterhouse said.
“The top weight isn’t even 59kg, it is so ridiculous, the bottom weight is about 50kg, if you go back 30 years ago, there were horses at 47kg and some at 63kg and 64kg.
* Lloyd Williams has locked in riders for his two Melbourne Cup runners.
“You go back to Tulloch’s days in the 50s, they were carrying huge weights and it was a much bigger spread.
“It meant the lightweights can really have a chance, the rising stars of our sport, but they have done this to all these races now.”
Fiorente carried 53.5kg in the 2012 Melbourne Cup when he ran second for Waterhouse, before returning with 55kg in 2013, where he was victorious.
“It is silly to say they don’t handicap like they used to, but they are no longer true handicaps, they are quality handicaps,” Waterhouse said.
“Heaven knows why they have changed it, but we have to live with what we have got.
“The rising star on the light weight is no longer truly advantaged, it makes the good horses advantaged.
“We have to work around it now.”
Waterhouse, who now trains in partnership with Adrian Bott, was dealt a Melbourne Cup blow of her own last week, with both Hoo Ya Mal and Goldman ruled out of the race.
Goldman was assured of a start after winning the Roy Higgins in March, however connections opted not to press on following his run in the Caulfield Cup.
Originally published as Gai Waterhouse has lashed Melbourne Cup weight scale: ‘They are no longer true handicaps’
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