Racing: Weighty issues will not deter Xcellent

The connections of Xcellent are not unhappy with the 54kg the New Zealand star has been given in the A$5 million Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 1.

Xcellent has been given the same weight as Perth-trained 4-year-old Plastered, who many in Australia were tipping would be given more than Xcellent.

Remarkable mare Makybe Diva was yesterday weighted at 58kg with which to attempt her third successive Melbourne Cup victory.

"We all had a talk about the likely handicap this week and we felt Xcellent would be given 53.5kg to 54kg," said managing part-owner Paul Moroney.

"Veandercross got about the same and he was probably the last comparable 3-year-old.

"I don't think 54kg will stop Xcellent winning a Melbourne Cup if we can get him there in the right condition."

Melbourne Cup topweight at 59kg is the United States-trained Kitten's Joy, 1kg above champion Irish stayer Vinnie Roe, who chased Makybe Diva home last November.

Auckland Cup winner Bazelle has 50.5kg, the same as Justa Tad and Envoy.

* The Caulfield Cup could be back in the reckoning for Auckland mare Justa Tad after she was yesterday given only 50.5kg.

Owner and trainer Rudy Liefting's preference lately has been for a Cox Plate start, but Victorian handicapper Greg Carpenter tossed him a tempting offer when he released his weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

The Caulfield Cup is run on October 15.

"I'm shocked by that. I'm thrilled," Liefting told NZPA.

"I thought she would get 51kg or 52kg at least. I'm going to have a good long think about it, but I won't do that until after she runs on Saturday. I want to see how she goes before making any decision."

She's Justa Tad is 58kg topweight for the Let's Elope Stakes at Flemington in Melbourne tomorrow.

It will be her first run in Melbourne and her second in her spring campaign after finishing second to Clifton Prince at Taupo just over two weeks ago.

Liefting said his preference for the Cox Plate on October 22 was because there was usually a strong pace on all the way, which suited his mare.

"In the Caulfield Cup they tend to go hard from the barrier, jostle for position and then they often slam on the anchors and that could mean she starts pulling."

Cassidy is travelling from Sydney to ride the mare in the Let's Elope, foregoing the rides on another New Zealand filly Mi Jubilee and his Brisbane Cup winner Portland Singa at Randwick.

Liefting said She's Justa Tad had settled in well at Cranbourne in Victoria under the care of his wife Megan. He wasn't fazed by the mare's barrier draw of 14, saying she tended to get back in her races.

"By all reports everything has gone to plan. She should go a good race. She has never ran a bad one in her 13 start career. She always runs on.

"She's topweight, but she deserves that; 1400m is short of her best distance, but she has won a group race over 1400m."

Carpenter also allocated She's Justa Tad with 50.5kg for the Melbourne Cup, but Liefting said he hadn't given much thought to that race.

Melbourne Cup weights:

Kitten's Joy (USA) (Dale Romans) 59.0kg

Cherry Mix (FR) (Saeed Bin Suroor) 58.5

Westerner (GB) (Elie Lellouche) 58.5

Andari (IRE) (Mark Johnston) 58.0

Makybe Diva (GB) (Lee Freedman) 58.0

Powerscourt (GB) (Aidan O'Brien) 58.0

Vinnie Roe (IRE) (Dermot Weld) 58.0

Phoenix Reach (IRE) (Andrew Balding) 57.5

Yeats (IRE) (Aidan O'Brien) 57.5

Maraahel 57.0, Mummify 57, Distinction, Greys Inn 56.5, Policy Maker 56.5, Super Kid 55.5, Collier Hill, Razkalla, Simonas 55.0, Fight Your Corner, Franklins Gardens, Media Puzzle 54.5, Eye Popper, Ostankino, Plastered, Songlark, Xcellent 54.0, Lad Of The Manor, Notable Guest, Perlin, Sweet Stream, Tosen Dandy 53.5. Carte Diamond, Desert War, Fantastic Love, Mahtoum, Sir Dex, Wunderwood 53.0. Confectioner, Kindjhal, Lost Soldier Three , Stella Grande, This Manshood 52.5.

Count Ricardo, Grey Song, Hugs Dancer, Moscow Ballet, Orpington, Swift Tango 52.0. Akarem, Demerger, Dizelle, Hollow Bullet, Lachlan River, Pacific Dancer, Pantani, Portland Singa, Reclaim, Vouvray, Wild Iris, 51.5. Andean, Binding, Frightening, Majestic Minstrell, Mandela, Mr Sandgroper, On A Jeune, Railings, Renewable, Studebaker, Tails Of Triomphe 51.0.

Battle Maiden, Bazelle, Charnwood Green, Devastating, Don Raphael, Envoy, High Action, Mutakarrim, Philosophe, Regal Punch, Rizon, She's Justa Tad, Stormhill, Strasbourg, Zingam 50.5.

Accumulate, Activation, Bondy, Cedar Manor, Crow Wood, Cut The Cake, Dancing Daggers, Timbourina, Under The Bridge, Zacielo, Zagalia, Zeitgeist 50.0.

* Caulfield Cup weights:

Cherry Mix, Norse Dancer 58.5kg. Bandari, Makybe Diva, Powerscourt 58. Ace, Yeats 57.5. Maraahel, Mummify 57. Distinction, Fields Of Omagh, Greys Inn 56.5. First Charter, Super Kid 55.5. Collier Hill, Razkalla 55. Fight Your Corner 54.5. Eye Popper, Plastered, Songlark, Xcellent) 54. Lad Of The Manor, Mullins Bay, Notable Guest, Perlin, Solskjaer, Tosen Dandy 53.5. Carte Diamond, Desert War, Fantastic Love, Mahtoum, Natural Blitz, Sir Dex 53. Confectioner, Kindjhal, Roman Arch, Stella Grande, This Manshood 52.5. Calveen, Count Ricardo, Econsul, Grey Song, Hugs Dancer, Moscow Ballet, Swift Tango 52.

Demerger, Dizelle, Hollow Bullet, Lachlan River, Pacific Dancer, Portland Singa, Reclaim, Vouvray, Wild Iris 51.5. Andean, Barely A Moment, Binding, Frightening, Ike's Dream, Majestic Minstrell, Mandela, Mr Sandgroper, On A Jeune, Railings, Renewable, Show Barry, Studebaker, Tails Of Triomphe, The Jewel 51.

Battle Maiden, Bazelle, Charnwood Green, Devastating, Don Raphael, Philosophe, Regal Punch, Rizon, She's Justa Tad, Stormhill, Strasbourg, Zingam 50.5. Accumulate, Activation, Bondy, Cedar Manor, Crow Wood, Cut The Cake, Dancing Daggers, King Of Ashford, Merlot Now, Timbourina, Under The Bridge, Utzon, Zacielo, Zagalia 50.