Shoot Out drifts amid weight fears

By LRN Staff

AJC Australian Derby winner Shoot Out is a notable market drifter after the release of weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.Warrnambool-trained stayer Moudre on Wednesday became outright favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Caulfield Cup at $10 ahead of Shoot Out who eased from equal favouritism to $11 after being allotted 55kg.Chief handicapper Greg Carpenter also gave the four-year-old the same weight in the Melbourne Cup, causing him to drift from $16 to $18.Shoot Out is the highest-w

AJC Australian Derby winner Shoot Out is a notable market drifter after the release of weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Warrnambool-trained stayer Moudre on Wednesday became outright favourite with TAB Sportsbet for the Caulfield Cup at $10 ahead of Shoot Out who eased from equal favouritism to $11 after being allotted 55kg.

Chief handicapper Greg Carpenter also gave the four-year-old the same weight in the Melbourne Cup, causing him to drift from $16 to $18.

Shoot Out is the highest-weighted AJC Australian Derby winner for the Melbourne Cup since Universal Prince was given 55.5kg in 2001 after also winning the 2000 Spring Champion Stakes and 2001 Canterbury Guineas as a three-year-old.

Carpenter said the fact that Shoot Out also won the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) influenced his decision to raise his weight above the norm for a four-year-old after winning the Sydney Classic.

"Most (AJC Australian Derby winners) have been given 54kg in recent years but this horse has the additional Group One victory to support that weight (55kg)," Carpenter said.

He said Victoria Derby winner Monaco Consul provided him with additional guidance after he finished third to Shoot Out in the Derby in Sydney.

Monaco Consul, who also won the Spring Champion Stakes, has 54kg in the Cups and is at $26 for both races.

Zabrasive, who ran fourth in the AJC Australian Derby after winning the Rosehill Guineas, has 53kg in the Cups. He is at $21 in the Melbourne Cup and $16 in the Caulfield Cup.

The Bart Cummings-trained VRC Oaks winner Faint Perfume is $16 for the Melbourne Cup and $14 for the Caulfield Cup after being allotted 52kg in both races.

Ethereal won the 2001 Melbourne Cup as a four-year-old mare with 52kg while Light Fingers holds the weight-carrying record for that age and sex after shouldering 52.5kg to win for Cummings in 1965.

Faint Perfume also needs to emulate the Cummings-trained Leilani (1974) and How Now (1976) who both carried 52kg to win their Caulfield Cups.

The last four-year-old mare to win either Cup was Ethereal who won both races.

TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies said the agency was still keen to lay last year's winner Shocking who would be only the sixth multiple Melbourne Cup winner after Archer (1861-62), Peter Pan (1932 and 1934), Rain Lover (1968-69), Think Big (1974-75) and Makybe Diva (2003-04-05).

Shocking has 57kg in the Cups and is at $12 for the Melbourne Cup and $21 for the Caulfield Cup.

Latest TAB Sportsbet markets.-

Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 16

10.00 Moudre

11.00 Shoot Out

12.00 Dariana, So You Think

14.00 Faint Perfume

15.00 Once Were Wild

16.00 Keep The Peace, Metal Bender, Valdemoro, Zabrasive

18.00 Vigor, Rebel Raider, Linton

21.00 Predatory Pricer, Shocking, Precedence, Triple Honour

26.00 Monaco Consul, Brightnight, Fanjura, Herculian Prince