Melbourne Cup weights
 

by PA Sport staff



YEATS has been given top weight for the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 6.

The dual Ascot Gold Cup winner has been allotted 59kg (approximately 9st 4lb), the same as he carried when running seventh in 'the race that stops a nation' 12 months ago.

His trainer Aidan O'Brien has nominated five horses for the race, with Coronation Cup victor Scorpion set to carry 58kg (9st 2lb), Septimus 57kg (9st), and Hitchcock and Mahler both 50kg (7st 12lb).

Luca Cumani's Purple Moon, who pulled off a huge gamble when winning the Ebor at York last month, has been given 53kg (8st 5lb).

Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said Yeats had held the same form as last year and warranted being treated at the same level.

"He was beaten with 59kg in last year's Emirates Melbourne Cup and there's no evidence Yeats is going any better than in 2006, therefore I've assessed him as the same horse and on the same weight," he said.

Racing in Melbourne resumed on Saturday but Sydney remains cancelled with the recent equine flu outbreak spreading to 700 horses stabled at Randwick racecourse late last week.

Hong Kong's Viva Pataca was also allotted 59kg but will not be travelling to Australia with trainer John Moore playing it safe in lieu of the flu outbreak.

Last year's winner, Delta Blues from Japan, was handed 58kg but will not be making the journey for the same reason.

Godolphin's Laverock has been given 56kg (8st 11lb).

There are 257 nominations for November's race but that number will reduce dramatically after first declarations are taken on Tuesday September 11.



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How small will this year's field be?

It's looking like the Melbourne Cup could be quite 'weak' this year compared with the past.

It wouldn't be certain to see all of the european challengers either, if the situation was to get worse, which is a possibility at this stage.

Certainly no NZ horses going over for it this year because of the ban on horse travel across the Tasman (not that NZ horses have had much of an impact on the race since Ethereal in 2001 anyway!)

I'd be very surprised if we see a full field this year, and even if we do it will surely be the weakest I've seen probably since Rogan Josh won in 1999. My early guess is that Maybe Better, 3rd to the two Japanese horses last time, will have it all to himself this time.

Hope I'm wrong though.

I have a really stupid question.....

Do they do this every year???

http://www.livinglegends.org.au/gall...ex_cupday.html

Yeah they do. :)

anyone know where I can get the full list of weights. I think Zipping is my fav at the mo!

Oh my God you mean to tell me you can just walk up to Might and Power???

Dying!

I WANT TO GO!!!

Here you go: http://www.vrc.net.au/cpa/htm/htm_fl...sp?race_id=116

thanks!

Yeah it's something I really want to go to as well, NZ-Aus flights are getting cheaper so I'd love to go over to Australia for Melbourne Cup week some time.

Can't this year though, got an exam on Melbourne Cup morning. :(

Sorry you can't go but if you ever get to, please blow Might and Power a kiss for me. :)

I went last year.

Caulfield Cup day was better for me...

Probably only because I backed Tawqeet at upwards of 20-1.

Bought a car with the winnings.

1993 Daihatsu, what a piece of ****.

It's possible that Aidan O'Brien will not be represented at all this year.

Yeah I'd say that's quite likely.

Apparently Mighty is pretty much certain to come though and Purple Moon is likely, so there will at least be some international interest.

a horse that I find interesting is Master O'Reilly, I saw him win in Felmington the day Marasco won the Makybe Diva Stakes (Sept 8th) and this guy came from dead last in a 17 run about 10 wide into the home stretch and won very very easily. I dont know how good the field was and what his plans are but I see he's listed and Ill have to keep an eye on him.

Not heard of him, but i will certainly keep my eye on him in what looks like it could be one of weakest Melbourne Cups in a long time.

It does seem like Aidan has decided against sending any horses over. Mighty couldn't win it if he started now.

Purple Moon would have to be in with a massive chance on form.

He might send Mahler and Scorpion is still possible...

Mahler isn't going..... well that's what i heard last week. Scorpion is still a possible, but John magnier nominated both him and Yeats for France the other day.

It doesn't look like they want to risk sending them over, and at the moment, who can really blame them.

Did you name it Tawqeet? :p

* * *

Racing Post...

Mahler in frame for Melbourne bid

by Tony O'Hehir

MAHLER, runner-up to Lucarno in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster last Saturday, on Wednesday emerged as "a possible" for the Emirates Melbourne Cup in which the Ballydoyle colt has only 7st 12lb.

Aidan O'Brien, who trains the Queen's Vase winner for Sue Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, said on Wednesday: "We still haven't decided whether we will be represented in the race this year but if we are it will be Scorpion and/or Mahler.

“They both seem to be fine after their races at the weekend and a decision about Melbourne will be made in the next week or so."

Scorpion finished runner-up to stablemate Yeats in the Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh on Saturday and O'Brien's comments on Wednesdy would appear to eliminate Yeats, who finished seventh in the big Flemington event last year, and Septimus, the Doncaster Cup winner, from this year's renewal on November 6.

Whereas Septimus is 7-1 favourite with Paddy Power, they do no quote Mahler, who is a 50-1 shot with Bet365 and Stan James.

Going for the killer Tri this weekend

$100 bucks on ............................
SIR RUPERT CLARKE STAKES 1400

FLASH TRICK
UNDUE
ANAMATO

With MURTAJILL as back up for any withdrals, Hope that rain comes down tonight

With 2 Slabs bet on the Cats to win & the Storm im hoping not only to be Very rich after this weekend but also very Drunk:eek:

Hmmmmm, i was told he wasn't going when i asked after the Leger :confused:

It does seem to me that Coolmore are really against sending horses to Australia at the moment.

Believe that to your own pearl , Victoria is ei free & the melbourne cup is alot of money. But to the racing purest the race is a pile of crap!! , but as far as money goes would like it in my pocket.

Melbourne cup is a funny race its like a public way to spend money ,once a year people who dont know nothing about racing spend money on it,
Damned if i know why except the sheep factor ie my mate spends money on this certain day so i must. !!!
You can't get to see it unless your jammed in like a sardine but most real punters & race people stay away from it

Yeah I agree completely with this.

It's so bizarre how popular the Cup is, even here in NZ. I just can't understand why 20,000 people here in Auckland go to Ellerslie and watch a 2-mile handicap in another country on the big screen. On a Tuesday!

I'll always believe that the Cox Plate is Australia's greatest race.

The way that the Melbourne Cup has suddenly seems to go from the minds of Coolmore suggests to me that maybe they aren't too happy with the way the Aussie racing officials dealt with the situation. Magnier did an interview a couple of weeks ago, and he didn't sound too happy.

It costs so much money for any european to send a horse there.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but don't the English and Irish pay all the tavel costs for Aussie runners over here but you guys never pay a penny for our transport. We are far too kind letting your sprinters over here year after year to kick our butts and taking our prize money and doing it free of charge :D

I've always wanted to know how that works and i mean everywhere.

I know the JRA will pay IF it's a horse they consider special.

Silent Witness got the royal treatment, they even paid for Highlilli (yea!!!!! greatest workout partner ever... except for the one time he actually beat the Witness by mistake:D . God I miss those two...) while Bullish luck got NO such treatment cause the JRA su.... I mean let's not get into that right now. :mad: :D

As far as i know, it really all depends on the country. We are far too generous in my opinion. If there were a few American horses that were coming over for Royal Ascot, we'd pay for their transport, and even stabling (i think)...... same with the horses from Oz. Dubai will pay for everyone's travelling fees as long as their horse(s) run more than once during the carnival. I'm not sure whether overseas horses that go for the world cup meet get their expenses paid or not though.

I don't even think that overseas horses get any travel paid if they go to America for the BC (i could be wrong about that).

It really frustrates me that the horses like Miss Andretti were allowed to travel for free and take our prize money (that we are seriously lacking) out of British racing, and was allowed to do so almost free of charge, but if our horses want to go to Oz, the owners have to pay for everything.

More bad news for AOB.....

Scorpion lame after trackwork at Sandown 29 Oct 2007

Racing Victoria

Racing Victoria stewards report that Tom Magnier, son of John Magnier, owner of Scorpion (IRE), an acceptor for the Melbourne Cup, on Monday advised Racing Victoria that Scorpion was lame in a hind leg after galloping on Monday morning.

Further tests will be undertaken and RVL Veterinary Surgeons will
continue to monitor the horse’s condition

http://www.thoroughbrednews.co.nz/sp...cing/?id=31978

Thank god you didn't say Mahler.

Scorpion is a tough fella, he has gone through more than his fair share of problems in the past. He split his pastern last year.

Really hope Mahler can do the business in this. Inexperience might beat him though. Can anyone tell me what sort of record 3yos have in this race?

I think Mahler had a better shot of the two.

He can win here with that weight, it usually is a race about weight in my opinion.

He'll at least get a placing.

By the time melbourne cup rolls around all the horses that are showing something are out too play so while its a great show case of racing in Australia the odds are crap as everyone knows;) ,
So while I will admit to not being very keen on the cup itself (in fact i find the race itself abit like watching paint dry ) .I do find the card has some great horses to watch so i thought id name a few & though they will be of no surprise i feel they really are worth mentioning :-)

EXCEEDINGLY GOOD Lee Freedman 78 : All Class !!!! The best now & in the future really exciting entire thats all class heads above the rest.

16 WEEKEND HUSSLER Ross McDonald 105 : wins easily going away from a midweek race onto Stardom

ROYAL ASSCHER (NZ) : Fit & producing the goods

16 SHREWD RHYTHM David Hayes 93 : Likes Flemington but might be getting abit worn by now depending on the jock might be value for money.

Will post more as i get time :rolleyes:

Good call!

In fact I'm not overly keen on the Derby either...Apart from Elvstroem, who in recent years has won another race that season afer winning it? Some, like Benicio, have never raced again after winning it. November is way too early to go 2500m. I'd love it if they reduced the distance.

But the other races on Saturday are wonderful. What an amazing card it always is.

I see Kerrin McEvoy's riding our Kiwi hope Princess Coup in the McKinnon...I think she's a huge chance in that race. They're wasting their time running her in the Cup on Tuesday as well though, Encosta de Lago horses don't stay 3200m.

Yes abit like redoutes choices but the mckinnon is shaping up as a great race !!! & Ahhhh brings back 1 of my best plunges on Good old Brew !!! with a name like that how could it have lost :D 2 wins in 2 days made me a small fortune;)

Thanks.

So, on stats alone, it looks like Mahler is up against it.

I think the last three year-old to even run in the race was Nothin' Leica Dane, who ran second to Doriemus in 1995.

However, I'm not sure if many (if any) Northern Hemisphere three year-olds have attempted it before. Obviously they're much stronger and more developed than the locals, who only turn 3 in August.

Oh, the trip will be no problem. He has already won over the trip (Queens Vase at Ascot). My concern would be his inexperience, that's all. He never ran as a 2yo, so he has limited racing experience.

It just gets worse for O'Brien.

From RP.........

by Tony O'Hehir
.


RETIREMENT beckons for Scorpion after trainer Aidan O'Brien on Tuesday confirmed that the three-time Group 1 winner would miss the Emirates Melbourne Cup on Tuesday because of a suspected muscular injury picked up when he worked at Sandown racecourse on Monday.

O'Brien flew into Melbourne early on Tuesday following a delayed flight from Los Angeles and after checking out Scorpion, as well as Mahler who will fly the flag for the Coolmore-Ballydoyle team in Tuesday's big race at Flemington, he spoke of the sadness and frustration brought by events at Monmouth Park and at Sandown in the preceding 48 hours.

Facing the assembled media pack outside the quarantine yard at Sandown, O'Brien said: "Scorpion is very lame and the problem is in the stifle area of his off-hindleg. The x-rays are clear and no bones are broken, so it looks as if it is a ligament or muscle problem.

"He suffered a hairline fracture to the pastern of the same leg two years ago. He recovered fully from that injury and this is a different problem.

"The horse is going to be fine. We will see what the vets have to say, but I'd imagine he is probably going to be retired now. The plan had been to keep him in training next year but he is a special horse and now that this problem has cropped up the likelihood is that he won't run again."
O'Brien was still in the US when his representative Andrew Murphy, who is on his second trip to Melbourne where he supervised Yeats' bid for last year's Melbourne Cup, phoned to alert him of Scorpion's situation.

O'Brien said: "After the day we had at the Breeders' Cup I was prepared to believe anything. Andrew told me that Scorpion and Mahler had worked well but that when Scorpion cooled down it became obvious there was a problem. We can't be sure what happened, but the likelihood is that he tweaked something when he worked.

"It is a pity as we thought he was the right type of horse for the race. Having learned from our experience with Yeats here last year, we believed Scorpion was a bit quicker horse at this stage of his career and that he might suit the race better."

In all he won four races and £958,059 (€1,373,830) in win and place prize-money.

the mckinnon is a great pointer for the melbourne cup but i dont like miss finlands chances

Miss Finland isn't what she is cracked up to be. And she surely won't stay the 3200 like Cardus said.

I'm hoping Hayes keeps her out.

He should have sent her to America for the Oaks instead of Anamato and then let her cruise in our restricted company up here. Black type galore for Mares up here.