The Melbourne Cup was and still is the race that stops the nation. When the race was conceived, it brought together the best handicappers from around Australia, and today the Victoria Racing Club has broadened the search to all corners of the globe.
However, the major change in recent times revolves around the handicap conditions.
The spread between the top and bottom weights has decreased to just seven kilograms this year. Take out Unchain My Heart (200-1 shot) and Signoff (career highlight Benchmark 90 before the Lexus) and it is only 5.5 kilograms.
One of the major factors has been the gradual rising of minimum weights across the country. Weight-for-age racing also raised the weight scale several years ago to cope based on the growing demands of jockeys and their welfare.
The racing industry should be commended for recently implementing several measures to improve jockey safety, including plastic running rails and better quality surfaces. And while the increase in minimum weights should be applauded, there needs to be room to move at the top.
Admire Rakti won the Caulfield Cup in dominant fashion and was penalised half a kilogram. Many believed this was too light, but Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter used history as a guide when deciding an appropriate penalty.
With no horse since Think Big in 1975 having saluted in the Cup with 58.5kg, he felt this was enough of a challenge for the Japanese raider. In 1975, Think Big was not even top weight and there was a 13.5 kilogram spread in the field.
While I’m not calling for a radical shift in the Melbourne Cup conditions, a rise in the maximum weights should allow for a more even and competitive field, benefiting owners, trainers, jockeys and punters.
And while on the subject, I’d love for handicappers to have the ability to re-handicap races after final acceptances. The Lexus Stakes and Bendigo Cup only had a 1.5 kg spread between horses, thanks predominantly to some unusual nominations from Lloyd Williams.
Australia is one of the few countries which still values handicap racing and it underpins the true value of the Cup, where billionaires and battlers share the chance of claiming the coveted three-handled trophy.
Sam James
Roar Guru
Hi sheek, Plenty of legends mentioned in there, particularly Wakeful. You can't even imagine what would happen these days if a mare was to carry 63.5kg! Spot on with your last point, the compressed weights make it more of a 'quality handicap' and certainly very different to the good old days.
sheek
Roar Guru
Hi Sam, I agree. Thoroughbreds are supposed to be stronger than ever before, but we put straw on their backs! Comparatively speaking of course. The greatest injustice of all is the comparison between Makybe Diva & Wakeful. Makybe Diva won three Cups, carrying 58 kgs (9.2) in her third triumph of 2005. Poor old Wakeful was asked to carry a back breaking 63.5 kgs (10.0) into 2nd place in 1903. To put Wakeful's performance into perspective, on only 10 occasions has a horse carried 63.5 kgs or more into a place (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in 153 years of the Melbourne Cup. It has been achieved by nine horses (Carbine twice) with Wakeful the only mare. Even Phar Lap never placed with 63.5 kgs, but he went close with 62.5 kgs (9.12). Furthermore, Wakeful was beaten by 3yo Lord Cardigan who carried the excellent weight of 60 kgs (9.6) into 2nd place in 1904. With all due respect to Makybe Diva, as good as she was, & she was awesomely good, Wakeful was a greater champion. In some ways, it's a shame the compressed weights weren't around 100-125 years ago. We would have seen some better horses win the great race, I reckon. But I do agree the better horses need to be challenged more.