Admire Rakti ($4) remains unchanged at the head of betting, but will have to break the modern day record held by the great Makybe Diva after being penalised half a kilogram to carry 58.5kgs in the Melbourne Cup.

The Japanese stayer incurred the penalty after its late surge to win the Caulfield Cup ahead of this year’s ATC Oaks winner Rising Romance.

“Another half-kilo won’t bother him. The general consensus was he’s better suited to two miles at Flemington than 2400m around Caulfield,” TAB’s Adam Hamilton said.

“He came wide and hit the line strongly at Caulfield he’s clearly the horse they all have to beat at Flemington.”

Makybe Diva carried 58kgs when the mighty mare completed her third straight Cup win in 2005.

In the last 40 years, the only horse to carry more than 58kgs and win was the Bart Cummings-trained Think Big in 1975 when it carried the 58.5kgs.

Recently, Dunaden carried 59kgs in 2012 after its Caulfield Cup victory and finished 14th on the first Tuesday in November. In 2009, Viewed had 58kgs after its Caulfield Cup triumph and crossed the line 7th at Flemington.

The most weight carried by a winning northern hemisphere stayer was 56kgs shouldered by another Japanese raider, Delta Blues, in 2006.

TAB FIXED ODDS

MELBOURNE CUP

$4 Admire Rakti

$5.50 Protectionist

$8 Lucia Valentina

$13 Fawkner

$16 Brambles

$16 Junoob

$18 The Offer

$21 Mutual Regard

$21 Who Shot Thebarman

$21 Willing Foe

$26 Araldo

$26 Cavalryman

$26 Red Cadeaux

$26 Seismos

$31 Big Memory