Kerrin McEvoy will take the Sydney Cup ride on the favourite Permit at Randwick on Saturday after 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient was declared as the topweight.
Photo by Racing and Sports
With Efficient in the field the weights were raised only 1.5kg to the required minimum topweight of 58kg.
Permit's weight rises to 53.5kg, resulting in McEvoiy taking the mount as the replacement for the suspended Corey Brown.
Nash Rawiller was on standby to ride Permit if his weight had risen to 54.kg. He is now expected to take the mount on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Oaks winner Once Were Wild.
Permit's trainer Chris Waller has four acceptors - all imported stayers - in the final field with last year's winner Stand To Gain, Hawk Island and Solid Billing, third in 2011, joining the favourite.
Waterhouse, trainer of the 1997 winner Linesman, will also start last year's runner-up Older Than Time with Tommy Berry as her rider.
Michael Rodd will renew his association with Efficient on whom he won the 2007 Melbourne Cup at Flemington.
The Bart Cummings stable has booked Craig Williams for Precedence.
SCHWEPPES SYDNEY CUP
GROUP 1 $500,000 3200m
Race 6 - 3.35pm
Tab No. Horse Weight Barrier Probable Rider
1 EFFICIENT (NZ) 58.0 9 M Rodd
2 DRUNKEN SAILOR (IRE) 57.0 6 D Oliver
3 NIWOT 55.5 2 D Dunn
4 PRECENDENCE (NZ) 55.5 13 C Williams
5 ONCE WERE WILD 55.0 11 N Rawiller
6 HAWK ISLAND (IRE) 55.0 12
7 STAND TO GAIN (IRE) 54.0 7
8 PERMIT (GB) 53.5 3 K McEvoy
9 OLDER THAN TIME 53.5 14 T Berry
10 HANKS 53.5 15 JB McDonald
11 SOLID BILLING 53.5 4
12 ANUDJAWUN (NZ) 53.5 10 B Avdulla
13 NEXTANIX 53.5 8 P Robl
14 OUR SERENA 53.5 16
15 PEAL OF BELLS 53.5 1
16 PLANET PURPLE 53.5 5 J Ford
