Melbourne Cup favourite Puissance De Lune has been allocated the same weight as Group 1 winners Ethiopia, Sangster and Royal Diamond.
Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter settled on 54.5 kg for Puissance De Lune, the $5.50 favourite for the Melbourne Cup.
Carpenter noted the 54.5 kg has been the “magic number” in recent years with Americain, Dunaden and Green Moon all carrying that weight to victory.
While Puissance De Lune is not a Group 1 winner, Carpenter said he had impressed in winning the Group 2 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the dead-heated for first in the Blamey Stakes
“I found it difficult to get him any higher and I was reluctant to get him any lower,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter said he’d been impressed by the progression of Gai Waterhouse’s former European Fiorente, runner-up behind Green Moon in last year’s Melbourne Cup.
He noted that Fiorente ran well in the All Aged Stakes then again in the Memsie Stakes before coming from last to win the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes.
Fiorente rises 1.5kg to 55kg in this year’s Cup weights and meets Green Moon 1.5 kg better for being beaten one length.
Former New Zealand mare Empire Rose, back in 1988, is the last Melbourne Cup runner-up to win the Cup the following year.
– TVN
