KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - New Zealand trainer John Wheeler has slammed the handicapping rules as "crazy" as his stayer Pentathon prepares to lump 58kg in today's Brisbane Cup.
Wheeler felt Pentathon was effectively penalised 3kg for his stunning last-stride victory in the group two weight-for-age P J O'Shea Stakes (2200m)
at Eagle Farm last Saturday.
Last year's New Zealand Cup winner will carry a 58kg topweight in the group two, A$300,000 ($340,000) staying feature, shortened to 2400m from 3200m for the first time.
The Richard Yuill-trained Mandela, among seven New Zealand stayers chasing Brisbane Cup spoils, will carry 56kg and was yesterday a pronounced $4 favourite on the New South Wales TAB.
Pentathon was an $11 third favourite, with the Bart Cummings-trained Accumulate splitting them at $9.
"He's been pretty harshly treated," Wheeler said of Pentathon.
"I was told they're obligated to make a topweight of 58kg.
"I would have thought in any handicap you'd start from the bottom and work your way up, but they do it the other way around. It's crazy."
Pentathon carried 54.5kg in his unplaced run on a wet track in the Sydney Cup in April.
Wheeler expected he would receive about 55kg for the Brisbane Cup, and possibly give away 0.5-1kg to Mandela.
Former winner of the group one BMW at Rosehill, Grand Zulu, received 57kg. The minimum is 52kg.
Still, Wheeler believed Pentathon could overcome the impost on the track where his former stable star Rough Habit won two Stradbroke Handicaps in 1991-92 and now has a bar named after him.
"We're still a big chance. He's going super," he said.
New Zealand-based jockey Mark Du Plessis regains the ride after missing the O'Shea due to suspension.
Meanwhile, Yuill had no complaints about Mandela's handicap after threatening not to run him in the Brisbane Cup when he carried 58kg into third behind 3-year-old Theseo in the Premier's Cup (2200m) at Doomben on May 26.
"Everything's gone to plan. I couldn't be happier with him," Yuill said. "Pentathon's the hardest to beat on form but the weights have definitely helped us."
Yuill was excited to draw barrier two, and secure champion Australian rider Darren Beadman for the mount for a third consecutive start.
Mandela opened his Brisbane campaign with an easy win in the group three Chairman's Handicap (2020m) at Doomben on May 12.
Last year's Brisbane Cup placegetters Gorgeous George ($17) and Sculptor ($21) were the next best of the New Zealand chances which also include Lilakyn, Ring Of Fire and Mirkola Lass.
The prospects of a New Zealand feature double are high with Waikato trainer Robert Priscott satisfied with his filly Diamond Deck's build-up to the group one A$500,000 T J Smith (1600m) for 2-year-olds.
Still a maiden after three starts, Diamond Deck was yesterday a $4.80 favourite after running a fast-finishing second to Masked Assassin in the Sires' Produce Stakes last Saturday.
"She's done everything right since," Priscott said.
"This is the race we've come for and it's all fallen into place so far."
The only concern was the outside barrier in the 13-horse field.
The field today is similar to the Sires, with Masked Assassin and Kyros second favourites at $5.
* Dual group one winning New Zealand mare Gee I Jane may have one final race start before a possible date with champion sire Zabeel.
Waikato trainer Neville Couchman raised the prospect of retirement after the horse's disappointing 15th behind Snipers Bullet in Saturday's A$1 million ($1.13 million) Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
But he has second thoughts after speaking to part-owner Lance Mackie.
"We might hang around for the Winter Stakes. There's nothing to be lost by running her," Couchman said.
The group one A$500,000 Winter Stakes (1400m) for fillies and mares, in which Gee I Jane finished second to La Sizeranne a year ago, is back at Eagle Farm on June 23. Saturday's rider Michael Rodd said the 6-year-old Jahafil mare felt like she'd "had enough" after the Stradbroke, in which she ran second a year ago. Couchman would recommend to owners Mackie and Keiran McCarthy that they send her to Zabeel.
- NZPA