Joseph O’Brien’s Defiantly has been withdrawn from Tuesday’s $10.2 million Melbourne Cup after failing his Saturday morning veterinary re-examination.
Racing Victoria stewards scratched the Irish stayer on veterinary advice after a panel of RV vets found he was still not suitable to accept, The Age reported on Saturday morning, quoting a Racing Victoria statement.
“In the opinion of the veterinarians, Defiantly remains unsuitable to accept for the Melbourne Cup and has been withdrawn from the race by order of the Stewards acting on veterinary advice,” RV said.
Defiantly was equal first in the order of entry when he was first inspected on Thursday. According to Racing Victoria, he presented without a right hind shoe and with a change in his gait compared with previous veterinary examinations, and was to be re-examined on Saturday morning once re-shod.
The Age described Defiantly as the expected pace-maker in the 3200m race at Flemington, so his withdrawal changes the likely shape of the Cup.
Read more: Melbourne Cup Vet Checks: Defiantly, Vauban Among Five Not Cleared
Enfjaar and Wine Dark Sea cleared
There was better news for two British-trained contenders. RV said Wine Dark Sea (Harry Charlton) and Enfjaar (Roger Varian), who were also not passed on Thursday, “had made appropriate improvement from Thursday’s inspection and in the opinion of the veterinarians are suitable to accept”.
Vets also re-inspected another O’Brien runner, Small Fry, and found the horse “is no longer suitable to accept for the Melbourne Cup”. Small Fry is 33rd in the order of entry, according to RV.
Kizlyar into the field
The Age reported that Defiantly’s withdrawal means another O’Brien runner, Kizlyar, will make the field of 24. The paper also reported that Defiantly is part-owned by media identities Yvonne Sampson and her husband, Chris O’Keefe.
Defiantly is the latest high-profile casualty of Racing Victoria’s pre-race veterinary checks this week. Caulfield Cup runner-up Saint George was withdrawn on Thursday and Japanese entire Stinger Glass was stood down on Friday after their scans, while Vauban and Litzdeel passed their Friday re-examinations.
Read more: Stinger Glass Ruled Out of Melbourne Cup After Vet Scans
Final acceptances for the Melbourne Cup close at 4.30pm AEDT on Saturday, with the barrier draw to follow. The race is run at Flemington on Tuesday, 3 November.
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