More Joyous has been weighted marginally above expectations in the Epsom Handicap but there are stable fears of a bigger burden by acceptance time.Gai Waterhouse's glamour mare was given 55.5kg - 1kg below weight-for-age - when Epsom weights were released on Monday."It's probably a fraction more than we anticipated but we're not too worried about it," Tulloch Lodge representative Mark Webbey said."I suppose a lot depends on what way you interpret the weights."She is a little bit too close to (st
More Joyous has been weighted marginally above expectations in the Epsom Handicap but there are stable fears of a bigger burden by acceptance time.
Gai Waterhouse's glamour mare was given 55.5kg - 1kg below weight-for-age - when Epsom weights were released on Monday.
"It's probably a fraction more than we anticipated but we're not too worried about it," Tulloch Lodge representative Mark Webbey said.
"I suppose a lot depends on what way you interpret the weights.
"She is a little bit too close to (stablemate and topweight) Theseo but if you go the other way she's not too badly treated against horses on the limit."
But Webbey, a former Racing NSW handicapper, has pre-empted a potential snag to Waterhouse's plans to contest the Epsom with More Joyous en-route to the W S Cox Plate.
With a 57kg minimum topweight requirement for Group One races, there is a real chance weights will have to be lifted.
Theseo has 59.5kg but is on a weight-for-age path to the Cox Plate while there is uncertainty over Danleigh (59kg), Black Piranha (58.5kg), Metal Bender (58.5), Predatory Pricer (57.5kg), Triple Honour (57.5kg) and the out-of-form Sniper's Bullet (57kg).
Their absence would leave More Joyous at the top of the weights, forcing her handicap to be raised 1.5kg.
"Gai isn't keen to run Theseo in handicaps but in saying that he isn't too badly weighted with a half kilo over weight-for-age," Webbey said.
More Joyous remained a standout in latest Epsom betting with TAB Sportsbet at $3.60 with Neeson and Danleigh the only other runners under single figures at $9.
Neeson, who is exempt from the Epsom ballot after his last-start Tramway Handicap win, has been given the 52kg limit.
Metal Bender and Zipping, meanwhile, head weights for the Metropolitan with 59.5kg.
Herculian Prince, who confirmed his place at the top of Metropolitan betting with his Kingston Town Stakes win on Saturday, has 53.5kg.
The rugged stayer is a $4.40 chance with stablemate and AJC Australian Derby placegetter Descarado sharing the second line of betting at $12 with Fanjura.
Descarado has been asked to carry 54.5kg with the Lee Freedman-trained Fanjura handicapped on 53kg.
The Epsom and Metropolitan will be run at Randwick on October 2.