Racing Victoria’s Head of Handicapping, David Hegan, has confirmed a 1kg weight penalty for Onesmoothoperator, the winner of Wednesday’s Geelong Cup (2400m), elevating the gelding’s weight from 50kg to 51kg for the upcoming $8.56 million Melbourne Cup (3200m).
This adjustment comes on the back of a strong Group 3 Geelong Cup victory that saw the Brian Ellison-trained English contender secure Craig Williams his sixth triumph in the prestigious event.
Onesmoothoperator has also been a big mover in Melbourne Cup betting, having been trimmed from as long as $50, right into $9 post-Geelong Cup.
With the 1kg penalty and the $300,000 winner’s prize, Onesmoothoperator has climbed the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry, advancing from 33rd to 22nd position.
Hegan said Onesmoothoperator had impressed in defeating the strong field in the Geelong Cup, with the victory sewn up well before the finishing line, in 2400m feature.
“Onesmoothoperator showed terrific acceleration to put the race away with 100m remaining after making an early run around the field,” he said.
“It was a dominant victory, displaying both stamina and an impressive turn of foot.
“The commanding victory demonstrated that a 1kg penalty was appropriate when we consider the opposition, those horses around him in the ballot, his form from Europe and his performance rating in winning yesterday.”
The revised weight also means Onesmoothoperator will face The Map (sixth in the Geelong Cup) and Interpretation (runner-up) with a 1kg advantage in the Melbourne Cup, while Muramasa, who finished third, will benefit from a 2.5kg weight difference.
This marks the fourth instance in the past decade where a Geelong Cup victor has received a 1kg penalty heading into the Melbourne Cup, with Steel Prince being the last to do so in 2020.
The race for a spot in the final 24-horse Melbourne Cup field on November 5 at Flemington has narrowed further, with 51 contenders still vying for a place following the withdrawals of Warmonger, Military Mission, Coco Sun, and Berkshire Breeze.
The Melbourne Cup field will be reduced again at the third acceptances deadline on Monday, October 28, at 10am (AEDT).
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