The updated Order of Entry for the 2014 Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup is available here.
The Jake Stephens-trained galloper remains on 50kg in the Caulfield Cup and will carry 52kg if weights are raised 2kg to ensure the top weight, likely to be Japanese raider Admire Rakti, carries 58kg.
Carpenter said he was impressed with Gris Caro’s fighting Naturalism win against a competitive field of horses but said he couldn’t justify a Caulfield Cup penalty for the son of With Approval.
“It was a competitive renewal of the Naturalism Stakes again this year but with Gris Caro winning on the limit weight it was difficult to get him any higher in the handicap for the Caulfield Cup,” Carpenter said.
“He beat Entirely Platinum by a short head with 2.5kg less in Saturday’s Naturalism Stakes and has 1.5kg less in the Caulfield Cup, representing a 1kg turnaround for Saturday’s narrow margin.”
Carpenter issued Gris Caro with a 1.5kg penalty for the Emirates Melbourne Cup, taking his weight to 52kg, and moving him a step closer to a start in the 4 November feature at Flemington.
Despite the penalty, Gris Caro is yet to pass the first ballot clause for the Melbourne Cup, however can do so with a top eight placing in the Caulfield Cup.
“The increase to 52kg means that Gris Caro has 6kg less than topweight Admire Rakti and 1.5kg less than Entirely Platinum in the Emirates Melbourne Cup which is the same scenario that confronts him in the Caulfield Cup given the different weight structure between the two races,” Carpenter explained.
Foreteller is also exempt from the Caulfield Cup ballot thanks to his narrow win in Saturday’s Group 1 Hyland Race Colours Underwood Stakes (1800m) while third placegetter Crackerjack King has now passed the first ballot clause and thus moves from 90th to 44th in the Order of Entry for the race.
Saturday’s Listed Tokyo City Cup (1800m) winner Quayside satisfied the first ballot clause for the Caulfield Cup with her Morphettville success and moved to 90th in the Order of Entry.
Carpenter added that the Chris Waller-trained Junoob, the winner of Saturday’s Group 2 Hill Stakes (2000m) at Randwick, was not eligible for a penalty in either Cups given the weight-for-age conditions of the race.
The second acceptances for the Caulfield Cup, as well as the Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m), BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m), Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m) and inaugural Caulfield Classic (2000m), will be taken at 12 noon (AET) tomorrow.
Nominations for the Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m), Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m), Group 1 Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) also close at 12 noon tomorrow.
The updated Order of Entry for the 2014 Crown Golden Ale Caulfield Cup is available here.
The updated Order of Entry for the 2014 Emirates Melbourne Cup is available here.
Click here to view the previous weight penalties issued to winners of the Naturalism Stakes.