Star stayer’s Cup win is worth the weight

MER De Glace’s Caulfield Cup victory has propelled the star stayer from 60th in the Melbourne Cup order of entry to equal first, while also earning the Japanese raider a kilogram penalty.

Dominant at Caulfield, Mer De Glace will now carry 56kg in the November 5 Cup.

Racing Victoria’s Greg Carpenter said the nature of the five-year-old’s triumph warranted a penalty. “Mer de Glace was enormously impressive in winning a very competitive renewal of the Caulfield Cup,” he said.

“The first six placegetters officially finished within two lengths of each other.

“The 1kg penalty is the same given to Caulfield Cup winners Boom Time (2017), Mongolian Khan (2015), Dunaden (2012) and Viewed (2009) over the last decade. Mer De Glace faces a new challenge in the

Melbourne Cup over 3200m at Flemington in 15 days and a new wave of challengers given 17 of the top 24 horses in the current Melbourne Cup order of entry did not compete in the Caulfield Cup.”

Mer De Glace will attempt to become the first horse to win both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in the same season since Ethereal in 2001.

Since then 12 Caulfield Cup winners have contested the Melbourne Cup with one finishing in the top three. Only Elvstroem (fourth in 2004), Master O’Reilly (eighth in 2007), Viewed (seventh in 2009), Fawkner (sixth in 2013) and Best Solution (eighth in 2018) have managed to finish in the top 10 in the Melbourne Cup after winning the Caulfield Cup.

Vow and Declare earned $700,000 for his Caulfield Cup second placing and climbed from 36th to 30th in the order of entry.