Undefeated superstar Black Caviar will be asked to carry a record weight if her connections change their immediate plans and decide to pursue a second Lexus Newmarket Handicap victory.Racing Victoria (RV) Senior Handicapper, Neil Jennings, has given Black Caviar topweight of 61.5kg in Australia's premier sprint race run over 1200 metres at Flemington on Saturday week, 10 March.It is 3.5kgs more than she carried to victory in last year's $1 million showdown and 1kg more than the weight-carrying r

Undefeated superstar Black Caviar will be asked to carry a record weight if her connections change their immediate plans and decide to pursue a second Lexus Newmarket Handicap victory.

Racing Victoria (RV) Senior Handicapper, Neil Jennings, has given Black Caviar topweight of 61.5kg in Australia's premier sprint race run over 1200 metres at Flemington on Saturday week, 10 March.

It is 3.5kgs more than she carried to victory in last year's $1 million showdown and 1kg more than the weight-carrying record for a mare set by Pendant when victorious with 60.5kg in 1906.

Trainer Peter Moody announced last week that his champion mare was headed for a spell, but he has elected to keep her in the Newmarket Handicap pending today's release of weights by Jennings.

"We offered Peter Moody the opportunity to withdraw Black Caviar prior to today's release of weights, but he preferred to keep her within the race entries at this time," Jennings explained.

"Whilst it is highly unlikely she will take her place in the field, as a first acceptor I'm obligated to allocate her a weight and thus connections have a week to decide if they change their minds.

"Her weight of 61.5kg represents a penalty of 3.5kgs for her victory in record time in last year's Newmarket Handicap, since which she's won a further nine races, six of those at Group 1 level."

Hay List, who was runner-up to Black Caviar in Group 1 company for the fourth time in his career at his last start in the Coolmore Lightning Stakes (1000m), is the next highest weighted horse on 58.5kg.

If trainer John McNair takes up the challenge with Hay List, he too will need to defy history with Gold Stakes (60kg) the last horse to carry 58.5kg or more to victory in the Newmarket Handicap back in 1959. The modern day record is held by Shaftesbury Avenue who won with 58kg in 1991.

"The weight allocated to Hay List represents a challenge, but he boasts an outstanding record and it is reflective of his standing as arguably the second best sprinter in the world," Jennings said.

"He was given 56.5kg in last year's Newmarket Handicap, but was scratched after final acceptances. In five starts since he's won the Group 1 All Aged, Group 2 Challenge Stakes and been runner-up to Black Caviar in three Group 1 races.

"His receives a 5kg turnaround from Black Caviar for his defeat in the Coolmore Lightning Stakes and concedes third placed Buffering, whom he defeated by two lengths, some 4kg."

Dual Group 1 winners Albert The Fat and Toorak Toff are weighted next on 56.5kg and 56kg respectively, with a group of six horses, including emerging Sydney star Rain Affair, allocated 55.5kg.

The Joe Pride-trained Rain Affair has suffered defeat just once in 11 starts and, like Black Caviar in the 2011 edition, will be shooting for 10 consecutive wins when he makes his Melbourne debut in the premier sprint.

Joining him on 55.5kg are the past two Oakleigh Plate (1100m) winners, Woorim and Eagle Falls, along with last year's Newmarket placegetter Beaded and four-year-olds Ilovethiscity and Rekindled Interest.

Buffering, a stablemate of Woorim, has been given 54.5kg, which is the same weight as classy mare King's Rose, who is one of five first acceptors for Moody.

The talented Bel Sprinter, one of several hard luck stories in last weekend's Oakleigh Plate behind Woorim, has been allocated 52.5kg alongside third-placed Facile Tigre.

Highly rated Sydney colt Foxwedge, a last start fourth in the Lightning Stakes, and flying filly Celebrity Girl are two of the eight three-year-olds who share the minimum weight of 50kg.

Three-year-olds have an impressive record in the Newmarket having won nine of the past 20 editions including victories by Schillaci, General Nediym, Exceed And Excel, Alinghi and Weekend Hussler, all of whom carried 53.5kg or more.

Final acceptances for the Newmarket Handicap are taken at 10am (AEST) on Wednesday, 7 March.