Racing: Busuttin gets some bad news

Australian handicapper Greg Carpenter has already told Cambridge trainer Paddy Busuttin he has no hope of getting into the Caulfield Cup with Six O'Clock News unless he takes the classy stayer to Australia early.

When Carpenter yesterday released his weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups he handed Six O'Clock News 50.5kg.

That might be a wonderful weight when the horse is safely into the barriers on Caulfield Cup Day, October 17, but it makes it almost impossible to gain a start from that low down the weight list.

Six O'Clock News is fully qualified for both big cups in terms of conditions of entry, but the weight order puts him reasonably out of contention for the Caulfield Cup at this early stage.

History shows that horses fall away as the Melbourne Cup, on November 3, nears and he is relatively safe as far as getting a start in the massive A$5.5 million metric two-miler at Flemington.

Busuttin will wait until the first declarations for the Caulfield Cup (noon next Tuesday) before deciding what path to take the horse down towards the cups.

Six O'Clock News looked massive flashing home along the inside to finish a close second to Samurai over a too-short 1600m at Hastings on Saturday.

"Ideally, I'd like to give him another 1600m next start," said Busuttin.

"I'm not going to panic yet because with the Caulfield Cup declarations being next week chances are a few could fall away and suddenly you find you're a lot closer to getting a start than you first thought."

If that's not the case, Australia looks the only option.

"Greg Carpenter told me there is not one race in New Zealand in which we can promote his chances of getting a run at Caulfield. Not one.

"What does that say about our racing, or what does that say about what the Australians say about our racing?

"There used to be plenty of races in New Zealand you could get re-handicapped for to get into the big races in Australia." If things look better after the first declarations, Busuttin would like to run Six O'Clock News in next week's $70,000 Merial Ancare Mile at Awapuni before heading to Australia.

"Ideally, I want to run in the Caulfield Cup because for him it's the ideal lead-up race.

"He's not the sort of horse you could line up in the MacKinnon Stakes [October 31] on the Saturday then throw into the cup four days later.

"There are a few lead-up options for him in Australia to try and get him more weight for the Caulfield Cup."

Nothing has been done about a rider in Australia for the horse.

"That's the other problem, who do you get to ride a horse at 50.5kg or 51 in a Caulfield or Melbourne Cup?"

Cambridge trainer Murray Baker said the 51kg Mr Tipsy received in both cups and the 52.5kg for Harris Tweed is about what he expected.

Sidelined Nom du Jeu from the stable has been given 55.5kg.

Last season's Caulfield Cup runnerup might be reasonably long odds to recover from leg problems to make it to Melbourne, but Baker said last night that stranger things had happened.

Red Ruler, due to have his second run back in the A$400,000 group two Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington this Saturday, has 53.5kg and AJC Oaks winner Daffodil has been given 51.5kg.

For the Caulfield Cup, other New Zealand weightings: MacO'Reilly 54kg, Gallions Reach and Spin Around 52kg, Tell A Tale 51.5kg, Tavistock 51kg, Jungle Rocket and and Sterling Prince 50.5kg and All In Black 50kg.

* Melbourne Cup weight highlights: Efficient (NZ), Maldivian (NZ) 58; Eastern Anthem (IRE), Schiaparelli (GER), Viewed (AUS) 57; Kirklees (IRE) 56; C'est La Guerre (NZ), Cima De Triomphe (IRE), Court Vision (USA), Fiumicino (NZ), Nom du Jeu (NZ) (doubtful) 55.5; Doctor Fremantle (GB), Macarthur (GB), Master O'Reilly (NZ), Vision And Power (NZ), Voila Ici (IRE) 55; Mourilyan (IRE), Rebel Raider (AUS), Tuesday Joy (NZ) 54.5; Roman Emperor (NZ) 54; Ista Kareem (NZ), Profound Beauty (IRE), Red Ruler (NZ) 53.5; Black Mamba (NZ), Triple Honour (NZ), Zavite (NZ) 53; Harris Tweed (NZ), Light Vision (NZ), Zarita (NZ) 52.5; Gallions Reach (NZ), Spin Around (AUS) 52; Capecover (NZ), Coniston Bluebird (AUS), Daffodil (NZ), Sculptor (NZ) 51.5; Lord Tavistock (NZ), Mr Tipsy (NZ), Young Centaur (AUS) 51; Figure Of Speech (NZ), Jungle Rocket (NZ), Six O'Clock News (NZ), Sterling Prince (NZ), Tinseltown (NZ) 50.5; All In Black (NZ), Hazeldon (NZ), Hoorang (NZ), Itstheone (NZ), Le Baron (NZ), My Scotsgrey (NZ), Our Easy Ryder (NZ), Sand Hawk (NZ), The Foreman (NZ), The Pooka (AUS) 50.0.