Reigning Cox Plate hero Maldivian and 2007 Melbourne Cup victor Efficient share the honour of being equal topweights for this year's Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter released the weights on Wednesday with Efficient and Maldivian receiving 58kg in both races.The 58kg is the lightest topweight issued in the Melbourne Cup since Better Loosen Up, Savage Toss and Super Impose were given 57kg in 1990.Last year's Melbourne Cup winner Viewed and the highest

Reigning Cox Plate hero Maldivian and 2007 Melbourne Cup victor Efficient share the honour of being equal topweights for this year's Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter released the weights on Wednesday with Efficient and Maldivian receiving 58kg in both races.

The 58kg is the lightest topweight issued in the Melbourne Cup since Better Loosen Up, Savage Toss and Super Impose were given 57kg in 1990.

Last year's Melbourne Cup winner Viewed and the highest-weighted internationally-trained horses, Dubai Sheema Classic winner Eastern Anthem and his Godolphin-owned stablemate Schiaparelli, the Goodwood Cup and Prix Kergolay winner in Europe this year, were given 57kg in both races.

Since Vintage Crop became the first internationally-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1993, the only Australian-trained horse to be at the top of the weights was former champion West Australian Northerly when he was given 60kg in 2004.

Efficient has the same weight as last year, when ruled out of Cup contention through injury, and 3.5kg more than he carried to victory in 2007 when the weights were raised 0.5kg.

Peter Pan is the only other horse to win two Cups (1932 and 1934) having missed the intervening renewal through injury.

"What I was very encouraged about, and no doubt the connections, was how both of them returned to the racetrack last Saturday and ran so well," Carpenter said of Viewed and Efficient running fourth and fifth respectively to Mic Mac in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

"It was good to see them ridden in that manner where they were put into the race rather than being out the back. It was really exciting.

"To me there is a window of opportunity because the overall nominations are down and depending on what happens with the Europeans we may not get that level of participation.

"I certainly believe that both Viewed and Efficient have really good winning chances so I'm really looking forward to the next seven or eight weeks."

Viewed, who gave master trainer Bart Cummings his 12th Melbourne Cup victory last year, goes up 4kg on his winning weight.

"You can't change them. You have to be happy with what you've got," Cummings said of the weight.

Viewed seeks to join Archer (1861-62), Rain Lover (1968-69), Think Big (1974-75) and Makybe Diva (2003-04-05) as the only horses to win the race in successive years.

Victoria and South Australia Derby winner Rebel Raider heads the star line-up of Australian four-year-olds with 54.5kg ahead of AJC Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor and Caulfield Guineas hero Whobegotyou who both received 54kg.

"I thought that's about what he'd get, 54 or 54-and-a-half according to his rating," said Leon Macdonald who co-trains the Reset entire with Andrew Gluyas.

"I can't complain too much."

The highest-weighted mare in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups this year is four-time Group One winner Tuesday Joy who received 54.5kg, the same weight she got in 2008 when she missed both races.

Black Mamba, who would be the first American-trained runner if she comes, got 53kg in both races.

New Zealander Daffodil, winner of the AJC Australian Oaks, and the Mick Price-trained dual Group One winner Gallica were the highest-regarded four-year-old mares with 51.5kg.

First declarations for the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup close at noon next Tuesday.