October
OctoberWeighty argument
Americain effortlessly won the Drake International Cup (2500m) but escaped a penalty. Meanwhile, Dunaden, who won against a weaker field in the Geelong Cup (2400m), had to accept a half-kilo penalty. This injustice is on a par with watering the Flemington track specifically for Makybe Diva, and with the preferential treatment given to Black Caviar in the Schweppes Stakes.
Why is this this sort of nonsense allowed to happen? It’s not good for racing. Actually, It’s a bloody disgrace!
Mervyn Sullivan
Casuarina (NT)
• Reply: The reason Dunaden was penalised while Americain was not is that the Geelong Cup is a handicap while the Drake International Cup is run at set weights and penalties. Had the latter race been a handicap, Americain would have had to give much more weight to his rivals. Last Saturday Americain gave runner-up Tullamore 1kg and third-placed Illo 1.5kg. He already has 58kg in Melbourne Cup, while Tullamore has 52kg and Illo 53kg. He therefore meets them 5kg and 3.5kg worse off respectively, without a penalty.
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