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2022 Caulfield & Melbourne Cup Weights Released

justin-darcy
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Last updated: 13 Sep 2022
Justin Darcy 13 Sep 2022
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  • The 2022 Caulfield & Melbourne Cup weights have been released
  • Spanish Mission carries the top weight of 58kg in the Melbourne Cup
  • Deauville Legend has been given 55kg in the Melbourne Cup
2022 Caulfield & Melbourne Cup Weights Released
Spanish Mission is the Melbourne Cup top weight for 2022. (Getty)

The 2022 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup weights have been released with a place getter from last year's Melbourne Cup set to carry top weight this time around.

Northern Hemisphere three-year-old Deauville Legend, the Melbourne Cup favourite, has been given 55kg, which many have seen as a little harsh given that he is only a two-time stakes winner overseas.

Last year's Melbourne Cup place getter Spanish Mission will carry 58kg if he is to feature once again, while Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace's Gold Trip has been allotted 57.5kg in both of the handicaps.

German stayer Loft has been given 55.5kg, the now second elect for the Flemington two-mile handicap while Caulfield Cup favourite Duais has also been allotted 55.5kg in both events, proving the highest weighted mare in nominations alongside Montefilia who also carries this weight.

Lindsay Park's Doncaster Handicap winner Mr Brightside has been given 56.5kg in the Caulfield Cup, notably not nominated for this year's Melbourne Cup.

Handicapper Greg Carpenter released a statement on Tuesday around the key notes to come from the 2022 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup weights.

“Spanish Mission ran brilliantly when finishing third with 57 kilograms in the 2021 Melbourne Cup, and whilst his connections would quite rightly have expected to receive a similar mark this year, having determined him as the top-weighted horse he must carry at least 58kg under the Australian Rules of Racing.

“This in turn leads to the scale for both races being one kilo higher than if there had been a ‘natural’ topweight such as the respective Melbourne and Caulfield Cup defending champions, Verry Elleegant and Incentivise, or a leading European stayer like Kyprios who won the Irish St Leger over the weekend.

“Duais and Montefilia, who between them have won seven Group 1 races, are the equal highest-weighted mares in both races. Duais finished 16th in the Caufield Cup when carrying 51kg as a four-year-old in 2021, but had an outstanding autumn winning both the Australian Cup and the Tancred Stakes and with the higher scale, she has been allocated 55.5kg in both races this year.

“It’s a similar story for Montefilia, who carried 52kg when fourth as a four-year-old in last year’s Caulfield Cup and since then she’s defeated Verry Elleegant when winning the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes.

“Of the mares to have won the Caufield Cup only Tranquil Star, with 56kg in 1942, has carried more weight to victory. Verry Elleegant carried 55kg in 2020 and Mannerism shouldered 54.5kg when she won in 1992. In the Melbourne Cup, Makybe Diva won the race with 55.5kg in 2004 and with 58kg in 2005, whilst last year’s heroine Verry Elleegant had 57kg on her back.”


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