Admire Rakti to go for Melbourne Cup

UPDATE: Caulfield Cup winner Admire Rakti will head for the Melbourne Cup despite being hit with a half-a-kilogram penalty for next month's big race.

Racing Victoria executive general manager of racing Greg Carpenter determined the Japanese horse would be penalised to carry a topweight 58.5kg after such an impressive performance in Saturday's long neck win.

Admire Rakti's connections were weighing up whether to withdraw from the Flemington showpiece, especially because no horse has won carrying more than 58kg since Think Big in 1975.

But they have since confirmed that Admire Rakti will attempt to become the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double.

Jockey Zac Purton, owner Riichi Kondo and trainer Tomoyuki Umeda pose with the trophy after Admire Rakti won the Caulfield Cup. Pic: Getty Images