A one-kilogram penalty awarded to in-form stayer So You Are following his victory in the Bendigo Cup has guaranteed the Bjorn Baker-trained galloper a starting position in the prestigious Melbourne Cup.

So You Are now sits at number 24 in the official Order of Entry for the Cup, a position secured after the withdrawal of Saint George on Thursday morning. If Saint George had not been scratched, So You Are would have remained at 25th in the Order of Entry.

Sea King (2024) and Sayedaty Sadaty (2025) were both re-handicapped by 0.5kg for their respective Bendigo Cup triumphs. Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping, David Hegan, noted that the last occasion a 1kg re-handicap was applied was in 2011 to the horse Tanby.

Thursday’s announcement marked the third adjustment to So You Are’s handicap since the initial weights were released last month. In total, So You Are has gained 2kg and will now carry 54kg in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on Tuesday.

“Yesterday’s win, based on weights and the quality of opposition, was the best of So You Are’s recent victories, carrying 58.5kg and proving too strong for all rivals,” Hegan stated.

While connections of So You Are celebrated the good news of their stayer’s Cup inclusion, the outlook was less positive for the connections of Saint George, trained by Ciaron Maher.

The Caulfield Cup runner-up has been withdrawn from the race following CT and PET scans conducted this week. After a review by an independent panel of diagnostic imaging specialists, the CT scans indicated that Saint George faced a heightened risk of injury. The Maher stable was subsequently offered and underwent a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan on Wednesday.

Upon review, the panel maintained its assessment that Saint George was at an elevated risk of injury. Consequently, Saint George has not only been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup but also the remainder of the entire Spring Racing Carnival.

For the latest racing odds and betting markets, explore the comprehensive offerings at Australian betting sites.