Shock Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time has been given a 1kg penalty for the Group 1 $6.25m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7.
Caulfield Cup winner Boom Time, above, has received a 1kg penalty for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Lindsay Park trained Boom Time caused a huge boilover when he arrived at $51 to win the Group 1 $3.15m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield last Saturday.
Winning jockey Cory Parish was able to produce the ride of his life to win his first Group 1 race when he punched Boom Time in between runners close to the fence to record a one and a quarter lengths win over Single Gaze.
Racing Victoria’s Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter said that the 1kg Melbourne Cup penalty was the same that was given to Viewed (2009), Dunaden (2012) and Mongolian Khan (2015) following their victories in the Caulfield Cup.
“Aided by a brilliant ride by Cory Parish, Boom Time finished one-and-a-quarter lengths ahead of Single Gaze, with the fast-finishing Johannes Vermeer a further head away in third. The 1kg penalty represents two lengths over the Melbourne Cup distance of 3200m,” Carpenter told racing.com.
“The Melbourne Cup provides a new challenge with a litany of possible rivals who did not run in the Caulfield Cup awaiting Boom Time at Flemington, such as defending champion Almandin, European challengers Tiberian, Red Cardinal, Rekindling, Max Dynamite, US Army Ranger, Nakeeta, Qewy, Wall Of Fire and Thomas Hobson, and local stayers including Big Duke and Who Shot Thebarman.”
Boom Time will now be asked to carry 53kg in the Melbourne Cup and the Flying Spur six year old is now the number one qualifier for ‘The Race That Stops A Nation’.
Early Melbourne Cup betting at Ladbrokes.com.au still has Boom Time at the healthy odds of $26 while last year’s winner Almandin sits at the top of the market order at $6.
The Robert Hickmott trained Almandin didn’t run in the Caulfield Cup but was a winner two starts back in the Listed $120,000 Japan Racing Association Trophy (2500m) at Flemington on September 16 followed by a fourth to Amelie’s Star in the Group 3 $300,000 The Bart Cummings (2500m) at Flemington on October 7.
Almandin has been handicapped with 56.5kg for the 2017 Melblourne Cup after carrying 52kg to victory last year.
Early betting for the 2017 Melbourne Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $6 Almandin, $6.50 Marmelo, $10 Johannes Vermeer, $11 Red Cardinal, Wall Of Fire, $15 Thomas Hobson, $17 Max Dynamite, Rekindling, $19 Tiberian, $21 Big Duke, $26 Amelie’s Star, Boom Time, Humidor, Nakeeta, Single Gaze, $34 Abbey Marie, Harlem, Jon Snow, $41 Qewy, US Army Ranger, Ventura Storm, Wicklow Brave, $51 or better the rest.
