Punters ponder publication of Melbourne Cup weights

Punters ponder publication of Melbourne Cup weights 

Racing Victoria Chief Handicapper Greg Carpenter appears to have done a good job in framing the weights for this year's 150th running of the Emirates Melbourne Cup 2010, with few obvious murmurings of discontent emanating from either the ranks of trainers or owners of runners entered for the world famous two-mile contest, writes Elliot Slater. 

Last year's winner Shocking has been allocated a 6kg higher mark, which clearly takes into account the tremendous improvement shown by the Mark Kavanagh-trained runner over the last 12 months, and local punters seem hopeful that the five-year-old son of Street Cry can win back-to-back renewals of 'the race that stops a nation'. A 20/1 joint-third favourite with British betting firms following the publication of the weights, Shocking is available at the same odds with local bookmakers who have him joint favourite with Faint Perfume. 

British firms still make Ascot Gold Cup winner Rite of Passage a 14/1 favourite in the Melbourne Cup betting odds to grab glory 'Down Under' despite the record of previous winners of the Ascot marathon not being particularly strong. Horses such as Drum Taps and Double Trigger failed to ever land a blow, whilst the mighty four-time Ascot Gold Cup hero Yeats could only finish seventh in 2006. 

Rite Of Passage has been allotted a racing weight of 57kg, some 3kgs more than his stable companion Profound Beauty, the pair both trained by Dermot Weld, the Irish handler who has twice before sent the Aussies packing with Vintage Crop (1993) and Media Puzzle in 2002. A best priced 16/1 with British firms, Profound Beauty is available at more than double those odds in Australia, whilst Rite of Passage can be backed with local firms at 22/1. 

Classy local filly Faint Perfume (20/1), and other popular Australian challengers So You Think (23/1) and Shoot Out (23/1,) have also not lacked support since the weights were published. 

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