Horse Racing

Defending champion Americain has been allocated the 58kg top-weight for the 2011 Melbourne Cup, Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter announcing the handicaps for the famous Flemington feature at a press conference today.

Defending Melbourne Cup winner Americain is the top-weighted entry for 2011

Alain De Royer Dupre’s reigning Melbourne Cup winner, the French-trained Americain sits at the top of the weights for the $6.2 million two-mile showdown, to run as Flemington Race 7 on Tuesday November 1, and will be forced to carry 3.5kg more than they did to victory last spring.

“Americain was a dominant winner of the race last year in what was one of the most competitive editions of the Melbourne Cup ever staged,” Carpenter said.

“The task of carrying 58kg, an increase of 3.5kg on his weight in 2010 provides a significant challenge, as it should, in his bid to win successive Cups.”

After a disappointing loss in the Group 2 Prix Kergorlay (3016m) in France back on August 21, Americain eased in the Melbourne Cup odds at Luxbet and is currently rated a $21 chance of going back-to-back in the world’s richest handicap.

The last horse to win successive editions of the iconic race was the mighty mare Makybe Diva who is the sole galloper in Australian racing history to win three successive Melbourne Cups (2003-2005).

She is also only horse to have carried 58kg or more to a Melbourne Cup win in the last three decades.

Before the Diva, Think Big (1974-75) was the other most recent back-to-back Melbourne Cup winner, Americain out to become the fifth.

Americain is currently stabled in a quarantine facility in the UK and is due to arrive in Australia on September 24.

Following Americain in the 2011 Emirates Melbourne Cup weights are two other Northern Hemisphere-trained raiders with Dangerous Midge on 57.5kg and Jukebox Jury on 57kg.

US stayer Dangerous Midge won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs last November but has a lot of improvement to make after failing last start when beaten over 74 lengths in the Group 1 Sheema Classic (2423m) at Dubai on March 26.

Dangerous Midge sits as a $51 outsider in the Melbourne Cup 2011 odds at Luxbet.

Jukebox Jury hit the headlines this week after the Mark Johnston-trained Irish galloper dead-heated with Duncan to win the Irish St Leger (2816m) at the Curragh carting a hefty 62kg.

The in-form Montjeu grey will be a huge Melbourne Cup contender should they be accepted into the final field as they won the Prix Kergorlay two starts back, the race Americain could only manage to finish 10^th in.

Melbourne Cup betting through Luxbet has Jukebox Jury at a juicy quote of $41.

“Jukebox Jury has been in outstanding form in Europe this season having defeated fellow Cup aspirants Americain, Manighar, Dunaden and Red Cadeaux to win the Prix Kergorlay over 3000 metres in France, before sharing the prize with Duncan in Saturday’s Irish St Leger,” Carpenter said.

“He is undefeated at distances beyond 2400 metres and has now won two Group 1 races, as well as being a four time winner at Group 2 level.”

Reigning Caulfield Cup winner Descarado is next in the heaviest-handicapped Melbourne Cup entry with 56kg followed by five horses on 55kg including Chris Waller’s star import My Kingdom Of Fife, the since-retired and out of contention Littorio, and the Saeed Bin Suroor-trained British stayer Cavalryman.

Current favourite to become this year’s Melbourne Cup winner is the Danny O’Brien-trained mare Shamrocker.

Paying $11 in the Melbourne Cup markets at Luxbet, Shamrocker has been allocated 52kg in the weights, a nice weight for the four-year-old who won the Australian Guineas – AJC Derby double last season.

The daughter of O’Reilly resumed with an eye-catching eighth to King’s Rose over the unsuitably short Group 2 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 27 carrying 56.5kg.

Other early 2011 Melbourne Cup betting favourites and their respective weight allocations include:

• December Draw ($13 Luxbet): Mark Kavanagh’s imported Medecis five-year-old has won three from three at Flemington since debuting in Australian on May 7, their last by an impressive three and a half lengths over 2000 metres on September 3. Yet to qualify for the Melbourne Cup, still well down the ballot on 50.5kg and will attempt to move up with a win in the Naturalism Stakes this weekend.
• Scarlett Lady ($14 Luxbet): Queensland Oaks winner down under last season, star Kiwi mare from the stables of Graeme Rogerson makes her Melbourne debut in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Allocated 51kg, which is a light-weight for a mare that usually races with around 56kg.
• Lion Tamer ($15 Luxbet): Last year’s Victoria Derby winner, another Kiwi contender that is due to return to Australia this weekend in the Underwood Stakes. Given 54kg in Cup weights, bringing them right into contention.
• Maluckyday ($15 Luxbet): Runner-up to Americain in the 150th Melbourne Cup with 51kg, rises to 54kg this year for their second shot at the ‘race that stops a nation’
• Lucas Cranach ($17 Luxbet): Interesting contender was at triple figure odds in the markets not long ago, is a German stayer who will join the Anthony Freedman clan later this month, has 53.5kg
• Absolutely ($18 Luxbet): AJC Oaks winner from last year, Mick Kent’s Redoute’s Choice mare races third-up in the Underwood on Saturday and has just 51.5kg in the Melbourne Cup
• Lights Of Heaven ($18 Luxbet): Peter Moody’s one-time Caulfield Cup favourite Lights Of Heaven has just 51.5kg and is yet to pass the first ballot clause, looking to bounce back after successive defeats

See below for the full list of Melbourne Cup weights 2011.

Right now is the time to lock in your selections for the Melbourne Cup at the hottest odds before prices firm by signing up with Australia’s leading online bookmaker Luxbet.

All new Luxbet customers that sign up, deposit and quote the codeword BONUSBET will be instantly rewarded with a bonus bet valued up to $400!

2011 Emirates Melbourne Cup Weights