Gerald Ryan's Menari will have to break a weight-carrying record to take out Saturday's Listed Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill.
Since the race's inception in 2011 the highest weight carried to victory is 58kg by Gai Waterhouse's and Adrian Bott's first stakes winner Thronum last year.
Menari has been tasked with 60.5kg for the quality handicap after finishing runner-up in the Group III Canonbury Stakes and fourth in the Group I Golden Slipper behind She Will Reign but Ryan is finding it difficult to understand how the colt has been hit with such a big impost after only winning one metropolitan event.
"I'm worried about the weight," Ryan said. "It's got me beat how he's got the same weight as a Group II winner.
"He'll carry the weight alright, it's just the ones down in the weights, they are getting a bit of weight off him."
Mark Newnham's Group II Skyline Stakes winner Diamond Tathagata will also carry 60.5kg while Godolphin's Group III Black Opal runner-up Trekking has been assigned 56.5kg and Tulloch Lodge's unbeaten colt Siege Of Quebec 54.5kg.
Although perplexed about the handicapping, Ryan believes the Snitzel colt is going well enough to overcome it.
"Of course he can win but it's just going to be tough," Ryan said.
"His trials have been solid and his work has been good.
"I clocked him running his last 400m in 22.70, so his most recent trial was good.
"He has developed since last prep, he's a bigger horse. He's always been a big horse but he's bodied up really good and he's strong all the way through.
"Class will take him a long way on Saturday but weight will also stop trains."
Ryan has a spring plan mapped out for his three-year-old but indicated that it may change.
"He will probably go to the San Domenico next and if we are going to go to the Golden Rose he will go to the Run To The Rose as well," Ryan said.
"If he doesn't go to the Golden Rose we'll just keep him back sprinting. We'll just wait and see after his first couple of runs."
Menari is currently the $3 favourite with Sportsbet to take out the Rosebud.
