Perth Cup winner Talent Show is a confirmed starter for Monday week’s Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) but she’ll line up with a hefty task in front of her.
The six-year-old mare will chase the rare cups double carrying 57kg, the fourth highest weight behind Titch (59kg), Shadows In the Sun (58.5kg) and Tuscan Fire (58.5kg).
In the past 30 years only three mares have tasted Adelaide Cup success and all carried 53kg or less.
The 57kg impost is 3.5kg more than the Graeme Ballantyne-trained galloper carried when upsetting Mr Moet to win Perth’s biggest staying race.
The weight comes as no surprise to Ballantyne who arrived in Adelaide with Talent Show on Monday.
“I thought she would get around 56kg or 57kg,” Ballantyne told the West Australian.
Ballantyne has kept the daughter of Jeune ticking over in a similar environment to her Western Australian base, putting her through the final stages of her preparation on bush tracks.
“We are up in the hills with bush tracks and the beach is about 20km away,” Ballantyne said.
“It is similar to what we have at home.”
Talent Show will make her first trip to Morphetville on Saturday when she has her final Adelaide Cup lead-up in the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m).
There she will face off against a number of Adelaide Cup contenders including topweight Titch.
In the Lord Reims Talent Show will carry 56.5kg from barrier 11 where she will be ridden by Daniel Staeck in the absence of the suspended Jarrad Noske.
Titch will carry 60kg from barrier two.