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MELBOURNE - Caulfield Cup winner Master O'Reilly has received his second re-handicap for the Melbourne Cup within a week.
Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter last night re-handicapped Master O'Reilly at extra 1.5kg following the horse's win in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday.
Seven days earlier Carpenter had penalised Master O'Reilly 1.5kg for winning the Winning Edge Presentations Stakes (2400m) on October 13.
Master O'Reilly will now carry 53kg in the A$5 million ($6 million) Melbourne Cup on November 6 after being originally weighted at 50kg.
He carried 50.5kg in the Caulfield Cup but Carpenter said Master O'Reilly had an excellent chance of winning the Melbourne Cup as well.
"His emergence as a stayer of the highest quality in the last 10 days has been quite spectacular," Carpenter said.
"While a penalty of three kilos is historically at the higher end of the scale, in his current rich vein of form Master O'Reilly remains well placed to become the 12th horse to complete the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double in the same year."
The extra weight penalty came as no surprise to trainer Danny O'Brien.
"I think it's reasonable," O'Brien said last night.
"He's going to carry three kilos more which is probably on the high side of what cup winners get, but he won the third fastest Caulfield Cup of all time by more two lengths. It was a very strong win."
O'Brien said Douro Valley still had "a nice weight" at 51kg in the Melbourne Cup, escaping a penalty by running second to his stablemate in the Caulfield Cup.
He said there was still improvement in Master O'Reilly, while Douro Valley was at his top for the Caulfield Cup.
"We have made no secret of the fact that we have been setting him (Master O'Reilly) for the Melbourne Cup all along," O'Brien said.
"It has always been the race he has been peaking for and I think he will improve.
"He is looking good but he's still got a little bit of his winter coat to come out.
"He's going to look even better on Melbourne Cup day.
"The two miles and Flemington are certainly advantages for him."
- AAP
