Profound Beauty Melbourne Cup favourite

By 13 lengths

The Dermot Weld-trained mare Profound Beauty is the one punters want in the Melbourne Cup and she is now outright favourite for the great race after the release of weights on Wednesday.TAB Sportsbet tightened Profound Beauty in from $12 to $11 after the six-year-old received 53.5kg, a 2kg increase over the weight she carried into fifth placing to Viewed in last year's race."The two-kilo increase for Profound Beauty reflects the progression she has demonstrated in Ireland this year, being undefea

The Dermot Weld-trained mare Profound Beauty is the one punters want in the Melbourne Cup and she is now outright favourite for the great race after the release of weights on Wednesday.

TAB Sportsbet tightened Profound Beauty in from $12 to $11 after the six-year-old received 53.5kg, a 2kg increase over the weight she carried into fifth placing to Viewed in last year's race.

"The two-kilo increase for Profound Beauty reflects the progression she has demonstrated in Ireland this year, being undefeated in her three starts," Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said.

"It is the same weight Empire Rose carried to victory in 1988 and the only mare to win the Melbourne Cup with more is Makybe Diva (55.5kg in 2004 and 58kg in 2005)."

However Carpenter said if Profound Beauty wins this month's Irish St Leger, she would be issued with a Melbourne Cup penalty.

Carpenter did not penalise last year's Irish St Leger winner Septimus for the 2008 Melbourne Cup because the horse already had received 58.5kg and his form had been well and truly exposed before weights were released.

Septimus won the Irish St Leger by 13 lengths against inferior opposition as the long odds-on favourite before finishing 18th in the Melbourne Cup and was found to be lame after the race.

Weld is the only European trainer to win the Melbourne Cup and is striving for a third victory in the race after his successes with Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle (2002).

Carpenter said 60 European-trained horses had contested the Melbourne Cup.

Weld also has Ghimaar and Directa King, both on the minimum of 50kg, entered for the Cup.

Predatory Pricer, who resumed with an outstanding win in the JJ Liston Stakes (1400m) last month, received 53.5kg in the Caulfield Cup for which he is the $8 favourite, while Whobegotyou retains Cox Plate favouritism at $5.50.

TAB Sportsbet said Profound Beauty had been the best-supported runner in the Melbourne Cup while Whobegotyou and Vigor had been well supported in the Caulfield Cup.

Latest betting from TAB Sportsbet.-

Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17:

$8 Predatory Pricer

$13 Whobegotyou

$15 Speed Gifted, Shocking, Vigor

$17 Viewed

$21 Gallica, Rebel Raider

upwards others

Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 24:

$5.50 Whobegotyou

$11 El Segundo, Predatory Pricer

$12 Maldivian