Weight OK for George

CONCERNS over track conditions and travel stress will be among Aidan O’Brien’s considerations as he mulls a Flemington raid with Order Of St George after the Irish star was given Melbourne Cup topweight.

Reacting to Greg Carpenter’s decision to hand dual Irish St Leger winner Order Of St George 58kg for the Cup, owner Lloyd Williams said the “weight is very fair.”

Industry experts believe O’Brien’s flag-bearer is relatively well treated as 2016 winner Almandin — also raced by Williams — rose 4.5kg on last season’s winning weight to 56.5kg.

Hartnell, a distant third in last year’s Cup, has 57.5kg. The Godolphin stayer has Caulfield Cup topweight with 58kg.

Williams, owner of an unmatched five Cup winners, said Carpenter was “outstanding in his assessment of the race” but warned the “tracks [are] a problem here”.

“He needs good to soft,” he said. “Obviously I would love to run him. The Melbourne Cup to me is everything that racing stands for in Australia — our only international event.

“But Aidan needs to select best chance [based on] tracks and travel. The Arc [is] one hour away [with the] chance of rain. The Cup is 30+ hours.”

The Prix de l’Arc Triomphe at Chantilly next month is a tempting option for O’Brien and Williams after Order Of St George’s third in Europe’s premier race last season.

But Carpenter’s handicapping has piqued William’s interest, saying it was the right weight “for a very good stayer”.

“Greg is right more often than not. I hope he is right,” he said.

Carpenter said he would be “bitterly disappointed” if O’Brien and Williams opted against a Cup tilt.

Williams said his representative in the Caulfield Cup was likely to be the O’Brien-trained five-year-old stallion Johannes Vermeer, with Almandin to likely to bypass the race.

Johannes Vermeer won the Group 3 International Stakes at the Curragh before he finished second in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown. Hartnell heads Caulfield Cup weights with 58kg, with Almandin (56.5kg), Admire Deus, Humidor (56kg), Gailo Chop and Sense Of Occasion (55.5kg) next.