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| Staff Writer |
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EUROPEAN FORM Onesmoothoperator, trained by Brian Ellison, has been handed a 1kg penalty for the US$8m Gr.1 Melbourne Cup following his commanding victory in the Gr.3 Geelong Cup, pushing him up to 22nd in the Order of Entry.
WEIGHT ASSESSMENT Racing Victoria's head of handicapping, David Hegan, confirmed the British challenger will now carry 51kg at Flemington, with Craig Williams maintaining the partnership for the 3200m contest on November 5.
The race has proven a significant pointer to Melbourne Cup success, with Media Puzzle (2002) and Americain (2010) completing the famous double. Steel Prince was the last Geelong Cup winner to receive a similar 1kg penalty in 2020.
"Onesmoothoperator showed terrific acceleration to put the race away with 100m remaining after making an early run around the field," Hegan said. "The commanding victory demonstrated 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."
The new mark places the Yorkshire-trained challenger ahead of Interpretation (23rd) and Muramasa (25th) in the Order of Entry, though these rivals will receive weight advantages should they make the final field. The Map, sixth at Geelong, and runner-up Interpretation will meet him 1kg better, while third-placed Muramasa receives a 2.5kg pull in the weights.
Following the withdrawals of Warmonger, Military Mission, Coco Sun and Berkshire Breeze, 51 horses remain in contention for the 24 available spots in Australia's most prestigious staying contest.
The Cup's international flavour continues to grow, with European raiders having enjoyed increasing success in recent years. The US$8m prize fund has attracted a strong overseas contingent, with Onesmoothoperator now firmly in the mix to provide Yorkshire handler Ellison with his first victory in the race that stops a nation.