Racing: Mongolian Khan has 55kg in Melbourne Cup

Mongolian Khan. Photo / Chris Loufte

Jockey Opie Bosson's fridge door will open slightly with yesterday's announcement New Zealand's Horse Of The Year Mongolian Khan has been given 55kg in the Melbourne Cup on November 3.

It was expected Mongolian Khan may have been given closer to 54kg. He is the highest-weighted Southern Hemisphere 4-year-old in the line-up.

Last year's winner Protectionist and highly-rated English stayer Snow Sky have been allocated equal top weight - 58kg.

The David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Criterion is third in the weights with 57.5kg, and Japanese horse Fair Game, the early Cup favourite, has been allotted 57kg. German import Our Ivanhowe, now trained by Lee and Anthony Freedman, is next on the weights with 56kg.

Racing Victoria's handicapper Greg Carpenter said Protectionist, now trained in Sydney by Kris Lees, and English star Snow Sky, will need to break a 55-year hoodoo if they are to win the Melbourne Cup.

"The original topweight has not won the Cup since 1950, when the Jim Cummings-trained Comic Court carried 59.5kg."

Comic Court was strapped by the trainer's son, an emerging horseman named Bart Cummings, who was to rewrite Melbourne Cup history.

"There have been 22 original top weights contest the Melbourne Cup since Comic Court's win in 1950 and none have placed so Protectionist and Snow Sky would rightfully earn their place among the Cup's true greats if they were to be successful.

"The handicap presents a challenge to both Protectionist and Snow Sky, however they have earned their position at the heads of the weights based on their performances over the past 12 months.

"Protectionist was a dominant winner of last year's Melbourne Cup carrying 56.5kg and rises 1.5kg for this year's renewal, while Snow Sky is the highest-rated horse in the field having won the coveted Hardwicke Stakes (2400m) in emphatic fashion at this year's Royal Ascot Carnival."

Carpenter has given three-time Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux 55kg.

The James Cummings-trained Precedence faces a huge task to make the field after being allotted 52kg. Last year, the veteran carried 54.5kg in a career-best performance, when he finished sixth. Precedence is among 71 entries who are yet to pass the ballot and need to perform over the next seven weeks to secure a start.

"He will attempt to do so by winning the race named in honour of his former trainer, The Bart Cummings (2500m), at Flemington on October 4," Carpenter said

Meanwhile, Craig Williams has retained the ride on Volkstok'n'barrell in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

There was significant dissatisfaction in Williams' ride on the Kiwi in the Makybe Diva Stakes last Saturday, in which he finished last, but just four lengths from the winner Fawkner.

"I got a call from Craig's manager and I made the decision to go with the devil I know, rather than the devil I don't know," co-trainer Donna Logan told the Herald last night.

"Craig probably stuffed up the ride on Saturday, but we'll stick with the gut for this one start. I won't be afraid to switch jockeys because there is big money up and they're all hungry."

Weights: Protectionist, Snow Sky 58; Criterion 57.5, Fame Game 57, Our Ivanhowe 56, Big Orange, Gailo Chop, Happy Trails, Hartnell, Hokko Brave 55.5; Max Dynamite, Mongolian Khan, Pornichet, Red Cadeaux, Trip To Paris 55; Who Shot Thebarman 54.5, Complacent, Order Of St George, Sky Hunter, The Offer 54; Gallante, Grand Marshal, Preferment, Quest For More, Royal Descent 53.5; Dibayani, Hauraki, Kingfisher, Prince Of Penzance, Rising Romance, Taiyoo 53.

Market: $6 Fame Game, $13 Max Dynamite, $16 Hokko Brave, Snow Sky, Trip To Paris, $18 Mongolian Khan, Who Shot Thebarman.