Caulfield Cup Winner Receives Melbourne Cup Weight Penalty

Without A Fight receives penalty after Caulfield Cup Win

Without A Fight has been handed an extra 1kg to carry in this years Melbourne Cup after putting on a strong display which saw him with the 2400m Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

UK import Without A Fight went toe to toe with fellow UK galloper West Wind Blows whilst carry 55.5kgs on Saturday and was able to come up trumps in the $5m feature which saw last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip two lengths off in third.

Victoria’s Chief Handicapper David Hegan said the additional 1kg was the same as previous winners of the Caulfield Cup had received such as when Mer De Glace, Boom Time, Mongolian Khan and Dunaden had received when they had won and went on to challenge in the Melbourne Cup.

"Without A Fight was most impressive," Hegan said.

"Under the genuinely testing speed of the race, producing a fast winning time of 2.26.45, he was simply too strong for his rivals in the finish and won coming away.

"No horse hit the line any better than Without A Fight, so the performance warrants a 1kg penalty.

"The 2kg differential between him and Caulfield Cup placegetter Gold Trip now puts them on the same terms as in last year's Melbourne Cup, when Without A Fight carried 55.5kg in finishing 13th behind Gold Trip, who won with 57.5kg on his back.

"Without A Fight went to another level with his win, so a penalty was required but it also takes into account the fact that the Melbourne Cup presents a different challenge altogether given the opposition - both local and international - and the extra staying test of 3200m."

Without A Fight will now attempt to become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double. 

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