Home Affairs must emulate Schillaci to win the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap

Lightning Stakes winner Home Affairs will need to carry the same weight as champion sprinter Schillaci to win the Newmarket Handicap.

Nature Strip (left) was allotted 59.5kg for the Newmarket Handicap while Lightning Stakes winner Home Affairs was given 55.5kg. Picture: Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Lightning Stakes winner Home Affairs will need to match the deeds of the great sprinter Schillaci if he is to win Saturday week’s Group 1 Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

Schillaci carried 55.5kg to win the 1992 Newmarket Handicap to complete Melbourne’s big sprint treble after the flying grey also won that year’s Lightning Stakes and Oakleigh Plate.

Like Schillaci, Home Affairs would head to the Newmarket Handicap as a dual Group 1 winner after the Chris Waller-trained colt also won the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington in the spring.

Only Weekend Hussler has carried more weight to win the Newmarket Handicap as a three-year-old when he carried 56kg in 2008.

Home Affairs remained the clear $2.80 favourite in TAB’s latest betting on the feature sprint.

The Everest winner Nature Strip is the Newmarket Handicap topweight with 59.5kg.

Nature Strip would meet Home Affairs 1kg worse in the unlikely event the star stablemates clashed again in the Newmarket Handicap.

Last year’s Newmarket Handicap winner Zoutori was given 55kg. Picture: Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images

Nature Strip was 3kg ahead of his nearest rival in the Newmarket weights.

Group 1 winner Masked Crusader is next best on 56.5kg.

The presence of the Waller-trained stars in the Newmarket Handicap weights has pushed last year’s winner Zoutori down to 55kg, 2kg less than his winning weight.

Oakleigh Plate winner Marabi will carry 54.5kg if trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace decide to test her unbeaten record in the Newmarket.

However, weights could rise should Nature Strip not accept to ensure a minimum topweight of 57kg for the Newmarket in accordance with the race conditions.

Smart Kiwi mare Levante will carry 53kg when she makes her Australian debut in the $1.5m feature sprint.

NEWMARKET HANDICAP WEIGHTS

59.5kg Nature Strip

56.5kg Masked Crusader

55.5kg Home Affairs, Lost And Running

55kg Wild Ruler, Zoutori

54.5kg Marabi

54kg The Inferno

53.5kg Count De Rupee, Laws Of Indices, Kemalpasa

53kg Levante

Originally published as Home Affairs must emulate Schillaci to win the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap