By MIKE DILLON
As if it wasn't already tough enough for Nash Rawiller.
The Melbourne-based jockey got the news he didn't need on Saturday night - the weights for the Auckland Cup were dropped by .5kg.
That is not a lot of weight to most of us, but to Nash Rawiller, it is the difference between night and day.
Rawiller accepted the ride on the Robert Priscott-trained No Alimony in the $350,000 Westbury Stud Auckland Cup at 54.5kg on Thursday when Lance O'Sullivan decided to stay with his impressive Nathans Memorial winner Classic Babe. He rarely rides at lower than 55kg.
He then flew home to Melbourne, rode two winners from two rides at Mornington on Friday, rode all day at Caufield on Saturday and drove back to his Mornington base on Saturday night to pack to return to Auckland for today's races, which meant falling out of bed at 4 am yesterday.
What he didn't need was the news that he had an extra .5kg to lose.
Asked at yesterday's Auckland Racing Club barbecue for the connections of cup and McDonogh Stakes horses when he last rode at 54kg, Rawiller could not remember.
"Certainly not in the last six months," said said sipping half a cup of coffee and longingly eyeing the salmon steaks.
He would do his best to get down to the 54kg, but figured he would probably be over by .5kg. Weights were increased by 2kg on Wednesday, giving the topweight Our Unicorn 56.5kg, but New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing said the topweighted horse should carry only 56kg, which led to the adjustments on Saturday.
If Rawiller was to have anything to eat in the 24 hours before the cup it would be a small salad and a couple of prawns.
Rawiller has a more comfortable 55kg on his McDonogh Stakes mount, Vyner's Lane.
Racing: Half a kilo could be almost too much to bear
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