Joseph O’Brien’s Defiantly and Melbourne Cup regular Vauban are among five horses who must face the vets again after not being cleared at Racing Victoria’s first round of mandatory Melbourne Cup inspections.
Racing Victoria veterinarians inspected 36 horses at the first examinations on Thursday, with 29 passing and five flagged for re-examination, Just Horse Racing reported.
Defiantly, Vauban, Enfjaar, Wine Dark Sea and Litzdeel were all flagged after showing changes in their gait compared with previous veterinary assessments. None of the five has been ruled out, but each must pass a follow-up examination to take their place in Tuesday’s $10.2 million race at Flemington.
When the five will be re-examined
Defiantly presented without a right hind shoe and showed a change in gait, and the O’Brien-trained stayer will be re-examined on Saturday morning after being reshod, according to Just Horse Racing.
Vauban, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper chasing a fourth Melbourne Cup start, and Litzdeel will both be examined again on Friday morning. Enfjaar and Wine Dark Sea are scheduled for further assessments on Saturday morning.
Read more: Saint George Out of Melbourne Cup After Failing CT Scan
Saint George formally withdrawn
Ciaron Maher’s Saint George, the Caulfield Cup runner-up who was ruled out on Thursday after failing a CT scan, was withdrawn by Racing Victoria stewards acting on veterinary advice, Just Horse Racing reported. He had been 19th in the order of entry.
Connections of Jennivamoose also withdrew her from Melbourne Cup contention after she passed her inspection.
Who passed
Point Of Law, Juja Kibo, Mr Monaco, Onesmoothoperator, Middle Earth, Goodie Two Shoes, Trustyourinstinct, Royal Supremacy and Soulcombe were among the 29 horses cleared at the first inspection.
Bendigo Cup winner So You Are, who moved up to 24th in the order of entry after a 1kg penalty, also passed, as did Jamie Melham’s prospective mount Future History, who still needs a place in the final field.
Read more: So You Are Into Melbourne Cup After Rare 1kg Penalty
Japanese stayer Stinger Glass did not undergo an inspection on Thursday and is scheduled for his first mandatory examination on Friday.
What’s next
Final acceptances for the Melbourne Cup close at 4:30pm on Saturday, 31 October, with the 3200m race run at Flemington on Tuesday, 3 November.
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