Half Yours 2025 Melbourne Cup weight penalty announced
Half Yours has officially been handed a 2kg penalty for the upcoming Melbourne Cup, taking his weight to 53kg after his superb Caulfield Cup triumph last weekend.
Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping, David Hegan, confirmed the adjustment on Monday, saying the decision aligns with penalties given to previous Caulfield Cup winners such as Durston, Tawqeet, and All The Good. “With the new weight scales between the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, he was on the limit going into Saturday,” Hegan said. “The 2kg lift moves him off the minimum to 53kg, giving those behind him a chance to bridge the gap.”
Half Yours carried 52.5kg in his Caulfield Cup victory — a weight that included a 1.5kg penalty for his Group 3 Naturalism Stakes win — and his success elevated him to the top of the Melbourne Cup order of entry. The McEvoy-trained gelding is now the $3.50 favourite for the two-mile feature on November 4.
“The penalty is consistent with recent precedent and reflects his upward trajectory,” Hegan added. “He’s proven himself among the leading stayers and earned his spot at the top of the weights for those in his range.”
Half Yours, a five-year-old son of St Jean, has now won seven of his 14 starts and continues to show rapid improvement with every run. His victory at Caulfield provided the McEvoy stable with one of their greatest moments, and he is now firmly on track to attempt the coveted Cups double.
He leads Melbourne Cup betting from topweight Al Riffa ($6), who will carry 59kg, while Valiant King sits next in line at $11 following his third placing on Saturday.
For full Melbourne Cup odds, betting offers, and market updates, head to Australia’s leading betting sites.
More Racing News
Warnie flies late to win The Supernova 2025
With a composed ride inspired by Mark Zahra, jockey Thomas Stockdale steered Warnie to a breakthrough victory in the lucrative The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham. It was a signature moment for Stockdale, who delivered a tactically brilliant performance as the Ciaron Maher-trained runner stormed to victory in Southside Racing’s second slot...
Weeping Woman too good in the 2025 Razor Sharp Handicap
Joe Pride’s team fired on all cylinders on Saturday, with six runners producing two wins, three seconds and a third across three states, including a dominant stable quinella in the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap at Randwick. Weeping Woman ($2.60 fav) finished strongest to overhaul Coal Crusher ($6), only 35 minutes after...
Ingham triumph puts Yorkshire in 2026 Doncaster Mile mix
Tom Charlton may have been only five years old when John O’Shea secured the 2000 Villiers Stakes, but on Saturday the duo jointly celebrated Yorkshire’s commanding victory in the modern equivalent, The Ingham (1600m), at Randwick. The triumph delivered O’Shea a fourth win in the prestigious race and marked Charlton’s first...
Taramansour provides locals with a win in the Pakenham Cup 2025
Taramansour produced a remarkable form reversal to hand Phillip Stokes his first victory in the Pakenham Cup, delivering an emotional local triumph. Stokes, who splits his time between his Morphettville operation and his Pakenham base, has had the Cup on his radar since establishing himself at the training centre in 2019. On...
Bargain buy Where’s The Circus dominates 2025 Inglis Nursery
Jean Van Overmeire made the right call in giving up a full provincial book at Newcastle to focus on a single Randwick mount, with Where’s The Circus landing a stunning upset in the Inglis Nursery. The filly, picked up online for just $1250, had impressed Van Overmeire when winning a recent...
Kris Lees sets sights on another summer strike
Kris Lees has frequently struck during Sydney’s summer feature program, and he will again field a strong hand across Randwick’s stakes races on Saturday. Lees’ achievements over the past decade include victories in The Ingham with Loch Eagle and Sense Of Occasion, as well as Razor Sharp Handicap wins with Special...
Fox on the hunt of 2025 The Supernova win
Emma-Lee and David Browne will “roll the dice” one more time with Statuario as they search for a fairytale hometown victory in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m). The Kiwi trainers shifted to Victoria in 2022 and settled into Pakenham last season, where a local Cup triumph would be particularly meaningful —...
2025 Pakenham Cup: Browne’s roll the dice one more time
Emma-Lee and David Browne will “roll the dice” one more time with Statuario as they search for a fairytale hometown victory in the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m). The Kiwi trainers shifted to Victoria in 2022 and settled into Pakenham last season, where a local Cup triumph would be particularly meaningful —...
Yorkshire out to make a summer statement in 2025 The Ingham
John O’Shea’s first major breakthrough as a solo trainer came 25 years ago when Grey And Gold captured the Villiers Stakes. He added another victory with On A High and later won the race again in its rebranded form as The Ingham (1600m) in 2022 with Kirwin’s Lane. Now a decorated horseman...
Choice weather forecast for Litt duo in the 2025 Razor Sharp Handicap
Trainer Richard Litt is hoping Sydney’s pending wet weather plays directly into the hands of his runners Barber and Romeo’s Choice when they contest the Razor Sharp Handicap at Randwick. Both horses are expected to appreciate any give in the track, and Litt believes soft conditions could elevate Romeo’s Choice in...