Big weight in Cup no surprise to trainer

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 42

Big weight in Cup no surprise to trainer

PA Wellington The huge frame of last year’s Melbourne Cup winner, Empire Rose, could give her the advantage to break her own weight-carrying record this year. Empire Rose created a record for a mare when she won last November’s Melbourne Cup with 53.5 kilograms and for the November 7 running of this year’s Flemington feature, she has been allotted 56.5 kg. Cambridge trainer, Laurie Laxon, agrees the giant mare has size on her side to set a record.

"If anybody can handle it she will be able to,” said Laxon yesterday. Weights for both the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup were released at the week-end and Laxon is happy with Victoria Racing Club handicapper, Jim Bowler’s assessment of Empire Rose.

“It’s about what I expected but it’s not what I hoped for. It would have

been nice to get 55.5,” he said.

Empire Rose is being quoted at 15-1 on the second line of Melbourne Cup betting and another New Zealander sharing the same position is the Te Awamutu-trained Na Botto.

He was third to Empire Rose in last year’s Cup and has been handicapped at 54.5 kg which is 3.5 kg more than he carried last November. However Peter Hollinshead, who trains the rising five-year-old in partnership with Richard Ottq, was not surprised at the weight. “Five-year-old geldings seem to have the best record in the Cup and that’s how they seem to handicap them,” Hollinshead said yesterday morning. “It’s a big weight for a class two horse but then again he has won sAust32o,ooo-odd.” Trainer, Geoff Haigh, is delighted with Candide’s

52.5kgs in both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups.

The Levin mare is being aimed at the Caulfield Cup on October 21. “She’s a certainty to make the field while she’s already qualified so unless we have injuries we’re in at a nice weight,” Haigh said yesterday. Candide qualified for the Caulfield Cup by running fourth in the race last year and Haigh says all going well he should have her in much better shape this time. Punters gambling with the long odds offered in the early cups doubles shouldn’t leave out Red Chiffon.

The mare ran some top races in the big cups last season and always looked like another year would see her up to the best handicappers. Trainer, Paddy Busuttin, says the mare has “strengthened up considerably” and with 50.5 kg in both the Melbourne and

Caulfield Cups, weight won’t be an excuse.

“She got about what I thought she would,” he said.

“She’s still only class two but ran some great races against the best last season.”

The weight is the same as Red Chiffon carried in the last DB Auckland Cup, when she looked a big chance on the turn before weakening to sixth. “That summed her up last season. “She looked like she would be right in it but just weakened out a bit. “By the look of her now I don’t think that will be the case this time.”

Red Chiffon is very forward, with six weeks’ beach work and another two months back in the stable.

She’s set to resume in the Robinson Handicap at Foxton on August 19, and then probably tackle the weight-for-age . $60,000 Trustbank Stakes (1600 m at Wanganui.