The much-anticipated weights for the Melbourne Cup 2023 have been officially released, setting the stage for an exhilarating race come November.
Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban has been assigned a competitive 55kgs for the iconic two-mile handicap, setting expectations high for the thoroughbred’s performance.
Meanwhile, the defending champion, Gold Trip, will have to shoulder the top weight of 58.5kgs as it seeks to secure back-to-back victories in Australia’s most prestigious horse race.
Adding a touch of royalty to the competition, Desert Hero, owned by King Charles and Queen Camilla, has been allocated a lighter weight of 51.5kgs
Market 💰: View the current Melbourne Cup odds
| Exempt 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup as at 19 September: 3 | ||
| 1 | GOLDMAN (NZ) 5G (Waterhouse & Bott) | 52.0 |
| 2 | LUNAR FLARE 8M (Grahame Begg) | 51.5 |
| 3 | ABSURDE (FR) 6G (Willie Mullins) | 53.0 |
| Passed 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup 1st Ballot clause as at 19 September: 82 | ||
| 4 | GOLD TRIP (FR) 7H (Maher & Eustace) | 58.5 |
| 5 | BROOME (IRE) 8H (Aidan O’Brien) | 56.5 |
| 6 | ALENQUER (FR) 6G (Michael Moroney) | 56.5 |
| 7 | MONTEFILIA 6M (Chris Waller) | 54.5 |
| 8 | DUAIS 6M (Edward Cummings) | 54.0 |
| 9 | ARAPAHO (FR) 7G (Bjorn Baker) | 55.5 |
| 10 | EL BODEGON (IRE) 5G (Chris Waller) | 55.5 |
| 11 | WITHOUT A FIGHT (IRE) 7G (A & S Freedman) | 55.5 |
| 12 | SPANISH MISSION (USA) 8H (Moody & Coleman) | 55.5 |
| 13 | SHARP ‘N’ SMART (NZ) 4G (G & D Rogerson) | 53.5 |
| 14 | BREAKUP (JPN) 6H (Tatsuya Yoshioka) | 55.0 |
| 15 | KOVALICA (NZ) 4G (Chris Waller) | 53.5 |
| 16 | VAUBAN (FR) 6G (Willie Mullins) | 55.0 |
| 17 | MANZOICE 4H (Chris Waller) | 53.0 |
| 18 | MAJOR BEEL (NZ) 4G ( Waterhouse & Bott) | 53.0 |
| 19 | LINDERMANN 4H (Chris Waller) | 53.0 |
| 20 | DESERT HERO (GB) 4H (William Haggas) | 51.5 |
| 21 | KNIGHTS ORDER (IRE) 9G ( Waterhouse & Bott) | 54.0 |
| 22 | FRANCESCO GUARDI (IRE) 6G (Chris Waller) | 54.0 |
| 23 | SMOKIN’ ROMANS (NZ) 7G (Maher & Eustace) | 54.0 |
| 24 | WEST WIND BLOWS (IRE) 5G (Simon & Ed Crisford) | 54.0 |
| 25 | SOULCOMBE (GB) 5G (Chris Waller) | 53.5 |
| 26 | POUNDING 5G (Moody & Coleman) | 53.5 |
| 27 | TOWER OF LONDON 4H (GB) Aidan O’Brien | 50.5 |
| 28 | HOO YA MAL (GB) 5G (Waterhouse & Bott) | 53.0 |
| 29 | VOW AND DECLARE 8G (Danny O’Brien) | 53.0 |
| 30 | RIGHT YOU ARE 7G (Maher & Eustace) | 53.0 |
| 31 | DUKE DE SESSA (IRE) 5H (Maher & Eustace) | 53.0 |
| 32 | MAGICAL LAGOON (IRE) 5M (Chris Waller) | 51.0 |
| 33 | VIRTUOUS CIRCLE (NZ) 4H (Liam Howley) | 51.0 |
| 34 | LASTOTCHKA (FR) 5M (Jean-Marie Beguigne) | 51.0 |
| 35 | FAME 4G (Moody & Coleman) | 51.0 |
| 36 | EMISSARY (GB) 7G (Michael Moroney) | 52.0 |
| 37 | HIGH EMOCEAN (NZ) 7M (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 |
| 38 | EL PATRONESS 5M (Danny O’Brien) | 50.0 |
| 39 | SHERAZ (FR) 7G (Chris Waller) | 51.5 |
| 40 | DAQIANSWEET JUNIOR (NZ) 6G (Phillip Stokes) | 51.5 |
| 41 | AFFAIRE A SUIVRE (NZ) 4M (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 |
| 42 | CLEVELAND (IRE) 6H (Kris Lees) | 51.5 |
| 43 | VALIANT KING (GB) 4H (Joseph O’Brien) | 50.0 |
| 44 | OKITA SOUSHI (IRE) 6H (Joseph O’Brien) | 51.5 |
| 45 | BENAUD 5G (John O’Shea) | 51.0 |
| 46 | ALEGRON 5G (James Cummings) | 51.0 |
| 47 | BUSTER BASH 6G (David Harrison) | 51.0 |
| 48 | KING FRANKEL (IRE) 6G (Annabel Neasham) | 51.0 |
| 49 | SERPENTINE (IRE) 7G (Waterhouse & Bott) | 51.0 |
| 50 | FIREBURN 4M (Gary Portelli) | 50.0 |
| 51 | MILITARY MISSION (IRE) 6G ( Waterhouse & Bott) | 50.5 |
| 52 | ABERFELDIE BOY 4G ( Griffiths & M de Kock) | 50.0 |
| 53 | SUIZURO 4G (Busuttin & Young) | 50.0 |
| 54 | SCRIPTWRITER (IRE) 5G (Chris Waller) | 50.5 |
| 55 | HOSIER (IRE) 7G (Mark Minervini) | 50.5 |
| 56 | TRUE MARVEL (FR) 8G (Matthew Smith) | 50.0 |
| 57 | MOUNT POPA (IRE) 9G (M, W & J Hawkes) | 50.0 |
| 58 | POINT NEPEAN (IRE) 6H ( Ben, Will & JD Hayes) | 50.0 |
| 59 | SHE’S FIT 4M (Daniel Morton) | 50.0 |
| 60 | ALASKAN GOD 5G (Daniel Morton) | 50.0 |
| 61 | REBEL RACER 7G ( Amy & Ash Yargi) | 50.0 |
| 62 | REO 4M (Richard Laming) | 50.0 |
| 63 | ATHABASCAN (FR) 5G (John O’Shea) | 50.0 |
| 63 | TIMOUR (FR) 6G (Chris Waller) | 50.0 |
| 65 | HASTA LA WAR 8G (Sue Murphy) | 50.0 |
| 66 | STAFFORD’S LAD 9G (Daniel Morton) | 50.0 |
| 67 | PROMISES KEPT 4G (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 |
| 67 | YAPHET 5G (Cliff Brown) | 50.0 |
| 69 | QUEEN AIR 4M (Lindsey Smith) | 50.0 |
| 70 | GEAR UP (IRE) 6H (Annabel Neasham) | 50.0 |
| 71 | TORRENS 7H (Marc Chevalier) | 50.0 |
| 72 | UNITED NATIONS 5G (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 |
| 73 | FULL OF SINCERITY (NZ) 4G (Andrew Forsman) | 50.0 |
| 74 | HIGHLAND JAKK (NZ) 7G (Robert Hickmott) | 50.0 |
| 75 | INTERPRETATION (IRE) 6G (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 |
| 76 | NOAH ‘N’ A DEEL 4M (Les Kelly) | 50.0 |
| 77 | ESS VEE ARE (NZ) 5G ( Darryn & Briar Weatherley) | 50.0 |
| 78 | LADIES MAN (NZ) 6G (Allan Sharrock) | 50.0 |
| 79 | HARBOUR WIND (IRE) 4G (Dermot K Weld) | 50.0 |
| 80 | RAGING BULL 5G (David Payne) | 50.0 |
| 81 | MOYA LASS 4M (Julius Sandhu) | 50.0 |
| 82 | AMADE (IRE) 10G (Phillip Stokes) | 50.0 |
| 83 | FANCY MAN (IRE) 6G (Annabel Neasham) | 50.0 |
| 84 | KALAPOUR (IRE) 7G (Kris Lees) | 50.0 |
| 85 | SIR LUCAN (IRE) 6G (Waterhouse & Bott) | 50.0 |
| Not Passed 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup first ballot clause as at 19 September: 48 | ||
| 86 | HINGED 5M (Chris Waller) | 52.0 |
| 87 | JUST FINE (IRE) 6G (Waterhouse & Bott) | 52.5 |
| 87 | REGAL POWER 8G (John Leek (Jnr)) | 52.5 |
| 87 | ZEYREK (FR) 7G (M, W & J Hawkes) | 52.5 |
| 90 | FLOATING ARTIST (GB) 8G (Maher & Eustace) | 52.0 |
| 90 | NAVAJO PEAK 5G (David Payne) | 52.0 |
| 90 | PROTAGONIST (FR) 7G (Kris Lees) | 52.0 |
| 93 | DARK DESTROYER (NZ) 5G (L O’Sullivan & A Scott) | 51.5 |
| 93 | ASHRUN (FR) 8G (Maher & Eustace) | 51.5 |
| 93 | BANK MAUR 4H (Richard Laming) | 50.0 |
| 93 | BERKELEY SQUARE 4G (Dan O’Sullivan) | 50.0 |
| 97 | UNCLE BRYN (GB) 6G (Busuttin & Young) | 51.0 |
| 98 | ALEXANDROUPOLIS (IRE) 4H (Aidan O’Brien) | 50.0 |
| BEAR STORY (IRE) 6G (Clinton McDonald) | 50.0 | |
| BRAYDEN STAR (GB) 5H (Busuttin & Young) | 50.0 | |
| CARINI (FR) 5G (Danny O’Brien) | 50.0 | |
| CONVENER (FR) 5H (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 | |
| DENMARK (GB) 4H (Aidan O’Brien) | 50.0 | |
| DENY KNOWLEDGE (IRE) 6M (Michael Kent) | 50.0 | |
| DILLIAN (IRE) 5H (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 | |
| DUKE OF HASTINGS (NZ) 5G (Simon Zahra) | 50.0 | |
| FERAGO 7G (Patrick F Ryan Jnr) | 50.0 | |
| FIRST IMMORTAL 4G ( Mark & Levi Kavanagh) | 50.0 | |
| FOREIGN RAIDER 4M (John Sadler) | 50.0 | |
| FUTURE HISTORY (GB) 6G (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 | |
| GARACHICO (GB) 5G ( Leon & Troy Corstens) | 50.0 | |
| GREENLAND (IRE) 4H (Aidan O’Brien) | 50.0 | |
| GREGOLIMO (FR) 6G (Michael Moroney) | 50.0 | |
| INSULATION (GB) 5G (Moody & Coleman) | 50.0 | |
| LIONEL (GB) 5G (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 | |
| MAHRAJAAN (USA) 6G (Shaune Ritchie) | 50.0 | |
| MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) 5G (Busuttin & Young) | 50.0 | |
| MR BUSTER (IRE) 4G (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 | |
| MR WATERVILLE (IRE) 5G (Chris Waller) | 50.0 | |
| MURAMASA 4G (Busuttin & Young) | 50.0 | |
| OUTLANDOS 7G (John Sargent) | 50.0 | |
| PESHMERGA (GER) 5M (Robert Quinn) | 50.0 | |
| PESTO (GB) 8G ( Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes) | 50.0 | |
| SHAIYHAR (IRE) 5G (Busuttin & Young) | 50.0 | |
| SOUTHERN FRANCE (IRE) 9G (Matthew Smith) | 50.0 | |
| ST VINCENTS GARDEN (IRE) 4H (Joseph O’Brien) | 50.0 | |
| THE MAP 5M ( Dan Clarken & Oopy MacGillivray) | 50.0 | |
| VERONA (NZ) 5M (Maher & Eustace) | 50.0 | |
| WIN O’CLOCK (GB) 7G (Matthew Williams) | 50.0 | |
| WINEGLASS BAY (IRE) 5G (Chris Waller) | 50.0 | |
| YOUTH SPIRIT (IRE) 6G (Waterhouse & Bott) | 50.0 | |
| MEDATSU (NZ) 3G (Chris Waller) | 49.0 | |
| TOKYO RUN (NZ) 3G (Dean Mirfin) | 49.0 | |
| TOTAL: 133 | ||