Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise has been given a 1.5 kg Melbourne Cup penalty for his dominant win on Saturday, seeing his handicap rise to 57 kg for the iconic two-mile race at Flemington.
Incentivise will now carry the same weight as Verry Elleegant, Spanish Mission and Gold Trip, while 2020 winner Twilight Payment is the top weight with 58 kg.
Earlier
Incentivise trainer Peter Moody has attempted to massage the handicapper into a minimal Melbourne Cup weight penalty for his star gelding following its Caulfield Cup win.
Already favourite for the Melbourne Cup, the five-year-old romped home by 3.5 lengths ahead of Nonconformist at Caulfield on Saturday to firm in the betting for the Cup.
It was Incentivise's third straight Group 1 win and took his winning run to nine since breaking his maiden at the Sunshine Coast in April.
Incentivise had been set to carry 55.5 kg prior to the win, with Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter due to announce his penalty for the Caulfied Cup triumph on Monday afternoon.
Speaking on SEN, Moody drew comparisons to 2020 Caulfield Cup winner Verry Elleegant, who defeated Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck by half a length and is set to carry 57 kg in the Cup.
"Because [Incentivise] got that pretty hefty hike post the Maybe [Diva Stakes win]... I think because he got that penalty, this one will be significantly less, or I certainly would hope," Moody said.
"I've got great respect for Greg Carpenter, he's very good at his job and he'll want to see this horse have an opportunity but at the same time you've got to respect the fact he's trying to equalise the field.
"I take heart from the fact that Verry Elleegant only got a half kilo last year after beating an Epsom Derby winner.
"With all respect to Nonconformist... he's no Epsom Derby winner.
"[Verry Elleegant]'s got 56.5 kg (actually has 57 kg) in the Cup, she's won nine Group 1s, our horse has won three.
"[Incentivise] couldn't be asked to give [Verry Elleegant] significant weight if any, I would have thought. A kilo takes him to 56.5 kg, the same weight as her."
Asked whether he'd withdraw the horse if the penalty was too significant, Moody said their long-term plans for the horse would come into consideration.
"I'm not going to go putting those threats over the handicapper, that's a discussion myself and the ownership group would have," Moody said.
"This horse has got a long future ahead of him. He's going to the races for the 13th time in the Melbourne Cup.
"If we thought it was a task that was going to be detrimental to the horse's future, these men are all of the mind that they wouldn't want to see him destroyed."
2020 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (58 kg) is the current top weight, while Spanish Mission and Gold Trip have been given 57 kg.
In addition to the extra weight allotted by the handicapper, Incentivise will be carrying significant expectation as he aims to become the first horse to dp the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double since Ethereal in 2001.
Moody said Incentivise's wins in the Makybe Diva and Turnbull Stakes at Flemington earlier this prep bode well for his chances on the first Tuesday in November.
"He's not the prettiest horse in the legs department. He's a bit knock-kneed and toes out on both legs, particularly his off foreleg, and that's why he struggles on the turns," Moody said.
"But when he's in a straight line he builds and we saw that at Caulfield on Saturday, he sort of lost momentum a couple of times turning but when he straightened out and flattened out and those big, spindly legs, which go each direction you don't really want to see them go, can get some sort of alignment he then keeps building.
"It looked like halfway down the straight you thought, 'This horse is gonna get beat.'
"The further he builds in that straight line, he gains momentum and there's no stopping him."
Moody said the Incentivise had felt the effects of Saturday's run for the first time since joining his stable for the Spring but had rebounded quickly.
"He was a little bit jaded post the win yesterday but he's really bounced back this morning. It took him 24, 36 hours to bounce back," Moody said.
"Yesterday morning he was feeling the run for the first time this campaign. I took great heart when I saw his ears pricked and the feed tin shiny this morning."
Incentivise is currently a $2.30 favourite for the Melbourne Cup.
