Half Yours has been handed a 2kg penalty for the Melbourne Cup following his breakout Caulfield Cup victory.
Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping, David Hegan, confirmed on Monday that the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained stayer will now carry 53kg in the 3200m classic at Flemington.
Half Yours carried 52.5kg in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup, including a 1.5kg penalty for his Naturalism Stakes win, and Hegan said the new weight provides “relief to those horses he defeated”.
“The 2kg penalty lifts Half Yours off the limit to 53kg and importantly it provides relief to those horses he defeated on Saturday come the Melbourne Cup,” Hegan said.
The penalty mirrors those given to Durston, All The Good, Tawqeet and Railings after their Caulfield Cup wins.
Half Yours’ victory, his seventh from 14 starts, has propelled him to the top of the Melbourne Cup order of entry.
He’s now the $3.50 favourite for the Cup, ahead of 59kg topweight Al Riffa at $6.