Punters are once again wondering why the Melbourne Cup the peloton does not include emergencies after Athabascan’s withdrawal on Monday evening reduced the field to 23. Racing Victoria announced just hours before the big race that Athabascan would not be allowed to race due to what the veterinarians considered an increased risk of heart disease. episode.

A last-minute veterinary check revealed he had a heart arrhythmia and the stranger was subsequently ruled out. ECG reports and blood test results from the horse trained by John O’Shea and Tom Charlton were sent to three independent experts, who decided it was too risky for Athabascan to take his place in the field.

A statement from Racing Victoria said: “They each independently indicated that due to the nature of the cardiac arrhythmia, Athabascan would need to undergo further testing before being allowed to race again for safety reasons. Following these opinions and having considered additional evidence provided by the stable, RV veterinarians informed the stewards that in their opinion the horse should be withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup due to an increased risk of cardiac episode.

“As a result, the stewards, acting on veterinary advice, ordered the Athabascan to be withdrawn. The remaining 23 horses were deemed fit to race tomorrow.

Why does the Melbourne Cup have no urgency?

But since the draw has already been made, Athabascan cannot be replaced in the race that stops the nation. Instead, the race will be run with one horse fewer than the maximum of 24.

Punters are once again wondering why Racing Victoria does not include emergency horses on the ground for this specific scenario. This has been an issue for years and always seems to spark debate before the Melbourne Cup each year.

Racing Victoria is believed to be reluctant to change the system because it would mean it would have to fork out money to upgrade all TAB machines across the country, which would be a logistical nightmare. The current TAB system only has 24 slots for horses, meaning emergencies could not be included in betting forms. But punters have described it as “ridiculous” and “pathetic” as a number of horses are said to have narrowly missed out on their place in the Melbourne Cup field and should be allowed to arrive late if another is scratched.

Relations ‘devastated’ by Athabascan withdrawal

Meanwhile, Athabascan Relations strongly disagrees with Racing Victoria’s call and will seek to meet with those responsible this week. Owner-manager Terry Henderson said on Monday evening: “We presented evidence that we believed the horse did not have a problem and that was refuted, so we requested a meeting with the stewards to look into the situation.

“It’s a matter of interpretation and it’s not that we haven’t presented them with what we consider to be expert opinion on the horse’s ability to run. Disappointing is a gentle word to use. The horse’s owners and John (O’Shea, the trainer) are devastated because the horse is in good shape, he has proven himself over two miles and everything about the horse says he has never worked better, so It’s a pretty tough pill to take. swallow.”

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O’Shea reportedly told the horses’ owners in a voicemail: “During his veterinary exam today, he had a slightly irregular heartbeat while standing and at rest. We provided significant data on his ECG and gallops. horse. He had a galloping ECG on Saturday, the horse was fine. We have provided the veterinary commissioners with evidence that he has a low troponin level, meaning there is no heart problem.

“But they decided, regardless of all the veterinary advice we gave them, to remove him. I can’t explain it. The horse is 100 percent healthy and all the data we use is particularly good. I am deeply sorry to everyone involved, but this is not up to me.