<h2>Half Yours Given 2kg Handicap for 2025 Melbourne Cup – Trifecta Summary:</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>- &nbsp; Half Yours receives 2kg penalty for Melbourne Cup following Caulfield Cup victory, raising weight from 51kg to 53kg</p> <p>- &nbsp; The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained gelding aims to become the 13th horse to complete the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double</p> <p>- &nbsp; Penalty provides weight relief to Caulfield Cup runners-up when they clash again at Flemington on 4 November</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Melbourne Cup Handicap Adjustment Following Caulfield Success</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Racing Victoria Head of Handicapping David Hegan issued a 2kg penalty to Half Yours for the 2025 Melbourne Cup, elevating the five-year-old's weight from 51kg to 53kg ahead of the 4 November showpiece at Flemington.</p> <p>The penalty follows established precedent for Caulfield Cup winners targeting Australia's most prestigious staying race.</p> <p>Durston received an identical 2kg penalty after his 2022 Caulfield Cup triumph, while previous winners Railings (2005), Tawqeet (2006) and All The Good (2008) faced similar adjustments.</p> <p>"Half Yours carried a penalty from the Naturalism into the Caulfield Cup, but as an emerging stayer he was still down in the weights with 52.5kg and that proved beneficial in winning his first Group 1 race," Hegan explained.</p> <p>The handicapper praised Half Yours' decisive acceleration between the 400m and 200m marks, noting the gelding's sustained finishing kick demonstrated the stamina required for the Melbourne Cup's 3200m journey.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Weight Relief for Caulfield Cup Rivals</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The re-handicapping provides crucial weight relief for horses defeated by Half Yours at Caulfield, with rivals now meeting the winner between 1.5kg and 2.5kg better in the Melbourne Cup. This adjustment aims to level the playing field for the November 4 clash.</p> <p>"The 2kg penalty lifts Half Yours off the limit to 53kg and importantly it provides relief to those horses he defeated on Saturday come the Melbourne Cup," Hegan noted.</p> <p>"Those that finished behind him in the Caulfield Cup will now meet Half Yours between 1.5kg and 2.5kg better in the Melbourne Cup which gives them a chance to bridge the gap."</p> <p>Half Yours now sits atop the Melbourne Cup Order of Entry following his seventh victory from 14 career starts.</p> <p>The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained gelding will attempt to provide his connections and jockey Jamie Melham with a maiden Melbourne Cup success.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Final Golden Tickets Up for Grabs</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Three remaining automatic Melbourne Cup qualifying positions remain available this week through the Geelong Cup (Wednesday), Moonee Valley Gold Cup (Friday) and Cox Plate (Saturday).</p> <p>These races offer ballot exemptions for their winners, with the Melbourne Cup field limited to 24 runners plus emergencies.</p> <p>Fourth acceptances for the Melbourne Cup close at 10am AEDT on Monday, 27 October, as connections finalise their spring carnival campaigns.</p> <p>Should Half Yours successfully bridge the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup gap, he would become just the 13th horse to complete the challenging double since the races were first linked in the late 19th century.</p> <p>The weight penalty reflects Racing Victoria's commitment to maintaining competitive balance in Australia's greatest horse race.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Melbourne Cup 2025 Odds</h2>