Melbourne Cup Report Raises Questions

The report into deaths of international horses in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) has revealed that fatally injured Anthony Van Dyck (Galileo-Believe’n’succeed, by Exceed and Excel) showed signs of lameness leading into the spring carnival, reports punters.com.au. Regardless of the veterinary details, this report will shine an unwelcome light on racing as the court of public opinion will only see that a sore horse was sent out to run and then died. As for the technical side, Gr1 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck was reportedly administered a nerve block on October 9, shortly after his arrival in Australia, as part of a diagnosis procedure. He ran in the Gr1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 17, finishing second behind Verry Elleegant (Zed-Opulence, by Danroad), before running in the Gr1 Melbourne Cup on November 3, where he sadly became the seventh death in the big two mile handicap since 2013. Anthony Van Dyck was the second fatality in this race trained by Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien, who also lost The Cliffsofmoher (Galileo-Wave, by Dansili) in 2018. O’Brien also trained 2020’s second-placed horse Tiger Moth (Galileo-Lesson in Humility, by Mujadil). Since 2010, eight of the past ten Cup winners have been horses who have flown in specifically for the Cup.