Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien is considering sending another horse to the Melbourne Cup after veterinarians dramatically prevented Jan Brueghel from competing in this year’s competition.
The news comes as Cox Plate record-breaking Via Sistina was officially withdrawn from the race that stops a nation on Wednesday.
The Chris Waller-trained mare set a record by winning the Cox Plate last Saturday in a performance that saw her ranked as the number one horse in the world.
Via Sistina was immediately installed as Melbourne Cup favourite, with her odds cut to $5 despite not being a confirmed starter at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
‘Via Sistina was officially ranked the number one racehorse in the world! The Cox Plate has always been his main goal, winning it is nothing less than a dream,” Yulong said in a statement on X.
“Following this peak performance and after much consideration, it has been decided that he will not compete in the 2024 Melbourne Cup.”
Via Sistina will now target the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 9.
Jan Brueghel had been the ante-post favorite for the two-mile handicap since extending his immaculate four-race career with a commanding victory in England’s Betfred St Leger in September.
Via Sistina (pictured winning the Cox Plate last Saturday) has been withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup in a decision that will disappoint many punters.
Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien (pictured) said he was “stunned” by the controversial decision to remove his entry Jan Brueghel from the Cup, and is now deciding whether to send another horse to compete in Australia’s biggest race .
Jockey Ryan Moore was set to cross the Pacific Saturday night after the Breeders Cup to make the trip; Not only that, he was ready to drop to his lowest weight of 8.7 pounds (54 kg) to accompany the three-year-old.
But Coolmore’s best-laid plans were ruined by Racing Victoria stewards after practice at Werribee. Jan Brueghel was scanned Saturday and O’Brien learned of the decision when he arrived here in Del Mar Monday night.
Stewards said the horse was “at increased risk of injury” and would not reconsider their decision. The Melbourne Cup has had six deaths in the last decade, including O’Brien’s 2019 Epsom Derby hero Anthony van Dyck.
Shipping Jan Brueghel to Australia cost £130,000 ($A257,000) (his owners will not be reimbursed for the payment) and O’Brien was astounded by the decision. This was supposed to be his first runner in the Melbourne Cup since 2020 and he may never try to win it again.
“It was absolutely devastating,” O’Brien said. “It was unlucky for us and lucky for them.” He was a Group One horse handicaped at 8.7lb and Ryan Moore was riding him. He was improving every week and only won by a very narrow margin.
‘They made the decision and our vets didn’t agree with it. They said there was a shadow in front and a shadow behind (in the bones of his legs) but every three-year-old child at this time of year has shadows and cracks.
‘There comes a point where it becomes ridiculous: the riders and women have been eliminated from the scene. In this part of the world the riders decide. There are other parts of the world where a horse trots in front of a telephone.
“The phone records the jog and will tell you if you are healthy or not.”
Some bookmakers, including Paddy Power, have made the decision to refund ante-post bets on Jan Brueghel, but this was not the way O’Brien anticipated starting the biggest week of his year as the pressure intensifies. before the City of Troy’s quest for immortality.
The owners have decided to rest Via Sistina (pictured after winning the Cox Plate) so she can run in the Champions Stakes at Flemington on November 9.
City Of Troy first saw the Del Mar dirt track just after dawn yesterday morning and was unusually sweaty as he completed a gallop, then a half-speed gallop, around the field with the other Breeders Cup runners by O’Brien.
The winner of the Epsom Derby, Coral Eclipse and Juddmonte International was then checked by track officials, as will be the case for the rest of the week, before racing in Saturday’s $7 million Classic.
He’s the only horse being talked about here, and every trainer who has a runner at the two-day meeting is asked his opinion on whether City Of Troy can do what no other has done before and win the Classic after conquering Epsom.
“Hopefully we have it well prepared,” O’Brien said. “He’s by Justify, he gallops like him, he’s open and long, he’s a Derby winner, he has a lot of requirements met, but we’re under no illusions.”
‘It wouldn’t be a problem with sweating; sweating never bothers me. I’d rather they were sweating than not because it means they’re prepared for it, rather than coming here and floating around.
‘The Clásico is going to be fierce and he will have to be on his game. If he’s relaxed in any way, you’ll get annihilated, so I’d prefer him to be a little edgy. It’s a big difference from any race I’d run before, where we’d jump around and want it to settle. “His gallop will pick up a little bit as the week goes on, he would be very happy with what we saw from him this morning.” “We think we’ve done everything we can to ask him to break well, it will be very interesting.”