Former Kiwi galloper Tavago has been allocated the 58kg top weight with 2017 The Metropolitan handicaps announced by Racing NSW today.
Tavago heads The Metropolitan 2017 weights this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival. Photo: Steve Hart.
Weights for both the Group 1 $1 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) and Group 1 $750,000 Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) are now out ahead of the September 30 features at Royal Randwick Racecourse.
While three gallopers share top kilos in the 2017 Epsom Handicap weights, for The Metropolitan Handicap the hefty allocation belongs solely to the Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young-trained Tavago with 58kg.
The now five-year-olds on of Tavistock won the ATC Derby in 2016, but has been first past the post in just one race since winning the Group 3 Sky High Stakes (2000m) back in March.
His latest run produced a seventh to Humidor in last Saturday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington when beaten five and a half-lengths as a $51 roughie.
As such Tavago sits as a $21 outsider in futures The Metropolitan odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au, a price lengthened post-weights.
There are 73 The Metropolitan nominations this Sydney Spring Racing Carnival and all-in markets on the mile and a half classic are an open affair with just one Saturday race card to take place between now and Epsom Handicap Day.
Three chances sit top of The Metropolitan betting at an equal $8 for the win with the Chris Waller-trained trio: Antonio Giuseppe (54.5kg), Libran (57kg) and Life Less Ordinary (51kg).
Waller also dominates the top half of the Epsom Handicap betting markets this spring including preparing the current $5 favourite and lightweight chance Egg Tart.
Shocking gelding Antonio Giuseppe hasn’t won a race since February, but he looked impressive when runner-up to stablemate Libran in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick last weekend.
Antonio Giuseppe also ran second in last year’s The Metropolitan quinella when carrying just 51kg in the feature.
Last year’s Sydney Cup runner-up Libran is a seven-year-old import who scored the upset at odds of $26 in the Kingston Town Stakes, the bookies reacting accordingly in the markets for The Metropolitan over the extra metres later this month.
Life Less Ordinary rounded out the all-Waller trifecta in that lead-up race, which could prove the form to follow into The Metropolitan results on September 30.
Waller has prepared two past The Metropolitan winners with The Verminator (2011) and Opinion (2014) both scoring upsets at double-figures.
Along with Libran, Waller’s Sydney and Melbourne Cup placed veteran Who Shot Thebarman will be asked to carry 57kg should he line-up in The Metropolitan field.
A rising nine-year-old, Who Shot Thebarman ran fourth only two lengths off his winning stablemate in the Kingston Town Stakes last weekend and he finished runner-up in this year’s Sydney Cup in the wet at the Randwick track.
He is out to go back-to-back for the eight-year-olds in the race following the breakthrough win for that age group last season by Sir John Hawkwood (2016).
The other highest-weighted The Metropolitan horses this spring with 56.5kg are the Lloyd Williams-raced Gallante who took out the Sydney Cup over the two miles in 2016 but who hasn’t raced since a Melbourne Cup failure last November, and the Darren Weir-trained grey stallion Guardini.
History is against the heavy weighted gallopers in the race however as Opinion (56kg in 2014) and County Tyrone (56.5kg in 2004) are the only The Metropolitan winners since Hayai (57.5kg) for his second win in 1984 to cart more than 55.5kg to victory.
Other notable The Metropolitan-bound gallopers and their weight allocations include Waller’s flying five-year-old Up ‘N’ Rolling (50kg) who is in danger of being balloted out of the race, Weir’s Sydney Cup third placegetter Big Duke (55kg), New Zealand raider Chocante (54.5kg) and current No. 1 on the order of entry Broadside (52kg).
Raise The Flag six-year-old Broadside earned a ballot exemption winning the Group 3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m) on Friday and is co-trained by Gai Waterhouse who has prepared a record eight previous The Metropolitan winners.
See below for the full The Metropolitan 2017 weights before heading to Ladbrokes.com.au to back your early tips at the right spring racing odds.
2017 The Metropolitan Weights
Royal Randwick Racecourse – 30/09/2017
| # | Form (Last 10) | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Ballot | Weight | H. Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1x65123x81 | BROADSIDE (NZ) | G | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 1 | 52kg | 98 |
| 2 | 1x00x518x7 | TAVAGO (NZ) | G | 5 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 2 | 58kg | 110 |
| 3 | 2x8746Px61 | LIBRAN (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 3= | 57kg | 108 |
| 4 | 55x3642x94 | WHO SHOT THEBARMAN (NZ) | G | 9 | Chris Waller | 3= | 57kg | 108 |
| 5 | 9x031x270x | GALLANTE (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 5= | 56.5kg | 107 |
| 6 | x80x621x02 | GUARDINI (FR) | H | 7 | Darren Weir | 5= | 56.5kg | 107 |
| 7 | 01121x5x76 | VENTURA STORM (IRE) | H | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 7 | 56kg | 106 |
| 8 | x9210x71x0 | ASSIGN (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 8= | 55.5kg | 105 |
| 9 | 31×9763415 | DESTINY’S KISS | G | 9 | Joseph Pride | 8= | 55.5kg | 105 |
| 10 | 3x37710x24 | TALLY | G | 5 | James Cummings | 8= | 55.5kg | 105 |
| 11 | 543321×806 | ALLERGIC | G | 6 | James Cummings | 11= | 55kg | 104 |
| 12 | 0x0D71x000 | AMRALAH (IRE) | H | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 11= | 55kg | 104 |
| 13 | 1121113×55 | BIG DUKE (IRE) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 11= | 55kg | 104 |
| 14 | x11x330x90 | BONDI BEACH (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 11= | 55kg | 104 |
| 15 | 2x1240x542 | ANTONIO GIUSEPPE (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 15= | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 16 | 5x0x010x55 | ARTICUS (FR) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 15= | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 17 | 1x37301x37 | CHOCANTE (NZ) | G | 5 | Stephen Marsh | 15= | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 18 | 1x212411x1 | STAMPEDE | H | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 15= | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 19 | 3x6905x222 | TOM MELBOURNE (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 15= | 54.5kg | 103 |
| 20 | 1x4214x839 | AMELIE’S STAR | M | 6 | Darren Weir | 15= | 52.5kg | 103 |
| 21 | 282x060x00 | SEABURGE | H | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 21 | 54kg | 102 |
| 22 | 1516510×39 | BOOM TIME | H | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 22= | 53.5kg | 101 |
| 23 | 2384x386x5 | HARLEM (GB) | H | 6 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 22= | 53.5kg | 101 |
| 24 | 7x39x12x13 | ALOFT (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 24= | 53kg | 100 |
| 25 | 028x337x76 | MAURUS (GB) | G | 7 | John P Thompson | 24= | 53kg | 100 |
| 26 | x533x0x038 | FOUNDATION (IRE) | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 26 | 52.5kg | 99 |
| 27 | 144×802225 | CLASSIC UNIFORM | G | 5 | Gary Moore | 27= | 52kg | 98 |
| 28 | 86×3151118 | PACODALI (IRE) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 27= | 52kg | 98 |
| 29 | 228x8x0178 | DEE I CEE (NZ) | G | 6 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 29= | 51.5kg | 97 |
| 30 | 1x75459x70 | KINEMA (IRE) | G | 7 | Chris Waller | 29= | 51.5kg | 97 |
| 31 | 624x128x19 | MEGABLAST (NZ) | G | 6 | Nigel Tiley | 29= | 51.5kg | 97 |
| 32 | 35x2111x08 | MONTOYA’S SECRET | M | 4 | Leon & Troy Corstens | 29= | 50kg | 97 |
| 33 | 0x50086412 | AUVRAY (FR) | G | 7 | Richard Freedman | 33= | 51kg | 96 |
| 34 | 41x122x253 | LIFE LESS ORDINARY (IRE) | G | 6 | Chris Waller | 33= | 51kg | 96 |
| 35 | 2x513x412x | OUR CENTURY (IRE) | G | 7 | Robert Hickmott | 33= | 51kg | 96 |
| 36 | x830x33x24 | FOUNDRY (IRE) | G | 8 | Robert Hickmott | 36= | 50.5kg | 95 |
| 37 | 0x4131x590 | HANS HOLBEIN (GB) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 36= | 50.5kg | 95 |
| 38 | x227x090x5 | SINGING (FR) | H | 8 | Kris Lees | 36= | 50.5kg | 95 |
| 39 | 0184260×50 | FANATIC (NZ) | M | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 39= | 50kg | 94 |
| 40 | 820x076x07 | GREY LION (IRE) | H | 6 | Matt Cumani | 39= | 50kg | 94 |
| 41 | 14x4197x88 | RAW IMPULSE (GB) | H | 6 | Darren Weir | 39= | 50kg | 94 |
| 42 | 5225223×54 | COOL CHAP | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 42= | 50kg | 93 |
| 43 | 2x34340x46 | HARLOW GOLD (NZ) | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 42= | 50kg | 93 |
| 44 | x121211234 | SAYED (USA) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 42= | 50kg | 93 |
| 45 | 522x0121x6 | TIME TO TEST | G | 7 | Tony McEvoy | 42= | 50kg | 93 |
| 46 | 2482x542x9 | VENGEUR MASQUE (IRE) | G | 6 | Michael Moroney | 42= | 50kg | 93 |
| 47 | 213×009435 | LORESHO (FR) | H | 7 | Darren Weir | 47 | 50kg | 92 |
| 48 | 2210×67911 | EMBLEY | G | 6 | Bjorn Baker | 48= | 50kg | 91 |
| 49 | 6x1164x362 | KILIMANJARO (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 48= | 50kg | 91 |
| 50 | 244×306321 | MASTER ZEPHYR (GB) | G | 6 | Darren Weir | 48= | 50kg | 91 |
| 51 | 9065227×37 | ETYMOLOGY | G | 5 | James Cummings | 51 | 50kg | 90 |
| 52 | 12652×5770 | HARPER’S CHOICE | H | 4 | Gerald Ryan | 52 | 50kg | 89 |
| 53 | 1214×42333 | IRAL JELLO | G | 5 | Kris Lees | 53= | 50kg | 88 |
| 54 | 9520449×00 | LORD VAN PERCY (GB) | G | 8 | Darren Weir | 53= | 50kg | 88 |
| 55 | x025094221 | MY DIAMANTINE (NZ) | M | 7 | Brian Smith | 53= | 50kg | 88 |
| 56 | x9x1735111 | KELLSTORM (IRE) | H | 5 | Darren Weir | 56 | 50kg | 87 |
| 57 | 1x1x21x322 | CROCODILE ROCK (IRE) | G | 6 | Robert Hickmott | 57= | 50kg | 86 |
| 58 | 14112132×7 | FIRENZE | M | 6 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 57= | 50kg | 86 |
| 59 | 22×2325210 | CISMONTANE (NZ) | G | 5 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 59= | 50kg | 84 |
| 60 | 41231x2x21 | SAMOVARE | M | 4 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 59= | 50kg | 84 |
| 61 | 168×211314 | YOGI (NZ) | G | 5 | Darren Weir | 59= | 50kg | 84 |
| 62 | x891413559 | CHARLEVOIX | G | 5 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 62= | 50kg | 83 |
| 63 | 4051421427 | SUPER HAZE (IRE) | G | 6 | Tony McEvoy | 62= | 50kg | 83 |
| 64 | 7440234129 | THE GETAWAY | G | 4 | Paul Perry | 64 | 50kg | 81 |
| 65 | 1x354965x4 | ANAHEIM | H | 4 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 65 | 50kg | 79 |
| 66 | 2634×54114 | ALWARD (IRE) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 66= | 50kg | 78 |
| 67 | 53324658×8 | SHALMANESER | G | 7 | Richard Litt | 66= | 50kg | 78 |
| 68 | 5241x32x11 | UP ’N’ ROLLING (NZ) | G | 5 | Chris Waller | 66= | 50kg | 78 |
| 69 | 1357541827 | WAHNG WAH | M | 5 | Kris Lees | 66= | 50kg | 78 |
| 70 | 4621x30x46 | DOUKHAN (IRE) | G | 9 | Kris Lees | 70 | 50kg | 75 |
| 71 | 00×4026112 | EUREKA STREET | G | 4 | Robert Smerdon | 71 | 50kg | 71 |
| 72 | 6748x111x7 | ROMAN SON | G | 4 | Anthony & Edward Cummings | 72 | 50kg | 70 |
| 73 | 2311 | SOCIAL ELEMENT (NZ) | G | 4 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 73 | 50kg | 69 |
