Caulfield Cup joint favourite Half Yours has been penalised 1.5kg for winning his way into the $5 million race via the Naturalism Stakes.
Half Yours underlined his immense staying potential with a 3-1/2 length win in the Naturalism, earning a ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup on October 18.
The lightly raced five-year-old trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy was promoted to the top of Caulfield Cup betting charts alongside Buckaroo as a $5 chance.
He will now carry 52.5kg.
Half Yours also holds an entry for the $10 million Melbourne Cup and, although he remains at 51kg in the race due to the 2kg difference in weight scales between the two Cups this year, the penalty effectively applies against the weight-for-age scale.
As such, Half Yours has moved from 60th in the Melbourne Cup order of entry to 47th place.
“Half Yours won the Naturalism Stakes in effortless style, and the dominant nature of his performance by an expanding margin is worthy of a reassessment in both Cups,” Racing Victoria head of handicapping David Hegan said.
