03 Sep 2007
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Yeats has been given top weight for the Emirates Melbourne Cup at Flemington on November 6.
The dual Ascot Gold Cup winner has been allotted 59kg (approximately 9st 4lb), the same as he carried when running seventh in 'the race that stops a nation' 12 months ago.
His trainer Aidan O'Brien has nominated five horses for the race, with Coronation Cup victor
Scorpion set to carry
58kg (9st 2lb),
Septimus 57kg (9st), and
Hitchcock and
Mahler both
50kg (7st 12lb).
Luca Cumani's
Purple Moon, who pulled off a huge gamble when winning the Ebor at York last month, has been given 53kg (8st 5lb).
Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said Yeats had held the same form as last year and warranted being treated at the same level.
"He was beaten with 59kg in last year's Emirates Melbourne Cup and there's no evidence Yeats is going any better than in 2006, therefore I've assessed him as the same horse and on the same weight," he said.
Racing in Melbourne resumed on Saturday but Sydney remains cancelled with the recent equine flu outbreak spreading to 700 horses stabled at Randwick racecourse late last week.
Hong Kong's Viva Pataca was also allotted 59kg but will not be travelling to Australia with trainer John Moore playing it safe in lieu of the flu outbreak.
Last year's winner,
Delta Blues from Japan, was handed
58kg but will not be making the journey for the same reason. Godolphin's
Laverock has been given
56kg (8st 11lb).
There are 257 nominations for November's race but that number will reduce dramatically after first declarations are taken on Tuesday September 11.
來源：At the Race (UK) (
連結)
