Ciaron Maher now has five horses inside the Melbourne Cup top 24 after Saint George's Caulfield Cup second, while St Leger winner So You Are cops another 0.5kg.
Last weekend's results have reshuffled the Melbourne Cup order of entry, and the race for a spot in the 3200m field on Tuesday, 3 November is getting tight.
Second penalty for So You Are
Bjorn Baker's So You Are won the Group 3 ATC St Leger over 2600m at Randwick on Saturday. Racing Victoria's handicapper David Hegan has given him another 0.5kg penalty. It's his second of the spring after he also won the Colin Stephen Stakes at Rosehill, and it takes him from 52.5kg to 53kg.
The five-year-old son of So You Think is still only 35th in the order of entry, so he needs other horses to drop out to get a start. Hegan was clearly impressed, saying the gelding was very strong late in the St Leger and that the two-mile trip should suit him.
Who's moved
- Saint George – second in the Caulfield Cup, he jumped from equal 50th to 22nd. That gives Ciaron Maher five horses in the top 24.
- Zahrann – now up to 26th.
- Klondike – third in the St Leger, he rose from 54th to 33rd and carries 53.5kg.
- Kings Valley – up to 46th.
Caulfield Cup winner Kingswood isn't entered for the Melbourne Cup, so the Caulfield result didn't trigger any other penalties.
Key dates from here
- Today: Geelong Cup (2400m), where the winner earns a ballot exemption.
- Saturday 24 October: Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) at Flemington, the last ballot exemption.
- Monday 26 October: third acceptances.
- Wednesday 28 October: Bendigo Cup (2400m), the final chance to climb the order through a penalty or prizemoney.
The punting angle
Before backing a horse sitting in the 30s, check how likely it is to get a start. So You Are is in form and racing well at the trip, but he still needs other horses to drop out. Our Melbourne Cup horses page tracks the main contenders.
FREE: The 2026 Melbourne Cup Guide – the clues that find Cup winners, our betting plan and the horses to watch.