A two kilogram weight penalty for winning the Group One Metropolitan Handicap has virtually assured Herculian Prince a start in the Melbourne Cup and significantly boosted his chances of making the Caulfield Cup field.The penalty, issued by Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter on Monday, is among the highest for Metropolitan handicap winners.The Gai Waterhouse-trained five-year-old will carry 53.5kg in both Cups.He has moved to equal 22nd in the elimination order for the Caulfield Cu

A two kilogram weight penalty for winning the Group One Metropolitan Handicap has virtually assured Herculian Prince a start in the Melbourne Cup and significantly boosted his chances of making the Caulfield Cup field.

The penalty, issued by Racing Victoria chief handicapper Greg Carpenter on Monday, is among the highest for Metropolitan handicap winners.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained five-year-old will carry 53.5kg in both Cups.

He has moved to equal 22nd in the elimination order for the Caulfield Cup with the third round of declarations for the world's richest 2400-metre handicap to be taken on Tuesday.

The win also takes Herculian Prince past the first ballot clause for the Melbourne Cup, and lifts him from 77th to 30th in order of entry.

Nash Rawiller won the Metropolitan on Herculian Prince but is doubtful to make his Cup weight and Glyn Schofield is likely to be the replacement rider.

"I think it (the penalty) is good, he wouldn't get in otherwise so you don't have any choice," Waterhouse said.

"The most important thing is that it takes him up to 22nd in the order of entry (for the Caulfield Cup)."

A winner of nine of his 16 starts, Herculian Princes' Cup penalty is the same as that issued to last year's Metropolitan Handicap winner Speed Gifted who didn't start in either race.

In 1999 Vita Man was also penalised 2kg for the Cups but could only finish 17th at Caulfield and did not line up at Flemington.

Carpenter said Herculian Prince was as dominant as Speed Gifted had been in the Metropolitan a year ago.

"Herculian Prince has also won the Group three Kingston Town Stakes over 2000 metres since weights were released on September 1," Carpenter said.

"The two kilogram penalty means he will meet the Metropolitan runner-up Mourayan on the same weight terms in the Caulfield Cup and the third placegetter No Wine No Song on two kilos worse in the Melbourne Cup."

Carpenter did not issue a penalty to Harris Tweed for his win in Sunday's Listed The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington.

"Harris Tweed was excellent in victory on Sunday giving weight to all his rivals but the win was his first since the Group Two Tulloch Stakes in April 2009 and with a win at Listed level it was difficult to justify raising him above his original weight," Carpenter said.

Trained by Murray and Bjorn Baker, Harris Tweed was 10th in the 2009 Caulfield Cup and fifth in the 2009 Melbourne Cup.

This year he has 54kg in both Cups and is guaranteed a start in both races.

In other Caulfield Cup news, C'est La Guerre passed the first ballot clause by winning the Group Three Craven Plate (2000m) at Randwick on Saturday and moves from 54th to equal 11th in the elimination order.

Third declarations for the Cox Plate also close on Tuesday along with second declarations for the Melbourne Cup.