Melbourne Cup rocked by 'gutting' news as leading contender ruled out of $8.5 million race

One of the favourites for next week's Melbourne Cup has been ruled out of the $8.5 million race, with Racing Victoria (RV) scratching Irish colt Jan Brueghel on the advice of vets. Connections to the Aidan O’Brien-trained Irish stayer say they're shocked and disappointed by the decision after suggesting the horse was not carrying any noticeable injury concerns.

Coolmore’s Tom Magnier says the unbeaten colt looked very sharp during preparations at Werribee and was shattered for everyone associated with the horse after Tuesday's ruling. Jan Brueghel won last month's Group One St Leger in the UK, before arriving in Australia less than three weeks ago. “He went through all the protocols in Ireland before departing to come down here,” Magnier told SEN.

“The lads have been very happy with the horse, he’s been bouncing out there in quarantine (at Werribee). But the vets have come up with the decision that has been made that he doesn’t pass the veterinary inspection to run in the Melbourne Cup.

“Obviously I’m extremely disappointed for the staff, all our team that have put in so much work both at home, travelling him down and getting him here. I really feel for them because they were excited about this. But at the end of the day at Coolmore the horse comes first, everything about the horse. A decision has been made and that’s that.”

RV confirmed stewards came to the decision to scratch the colt on “specialist veterinary advice”. A statement from RV read: “Reports received from an expert panel of internationally renowned equine surgeons and diagnostic imaging specialists, who reviewed Jan Brueghel’s CT scan results, indicate that the horse is currently at heightened risk of injury.

“Following advice from RV Veterinary Services in relation to the specialist opinions from the independent imaging panel, RV Stewards ordered the withdrawal of Jan Brueghel from the Melbourne Cup on the basis that he was unsuitable to compete.” It leaves 2014 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Ryan Moore currently without a ride in 'the race that stops a nation'.

Cox Plate winner Via Sistina in doubt for Melbourne Cup

The shock development comes as major question marks also surround Melbourne Cup favourite Via Sistina, following her record-breaking victory in the Cox Plate. Trainer Chris Waller says the world's top-ranked horse was no certainty to start at Flemington next Tuesday after her eight lengths' win in course record time at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Waller - who trained the legendary mare Winx - was track-side at Flemington on Tuesday to watch his spring carnival charges go through their paces. But Via Sistina was a notable absentee after spending recovery time at a farm, with Waller admitting connections of the horse were still weighing up whether or not to race her in the 3200m showpiece.

"It's only a couple of days after the race (Cox Plate) so it's a bit early for a decision so we need a few more days, it will be later in the week," Waller said about Via Sistina's Melbourne Cup prospects. "We're still waiting to see how she comes through the run, it was an amazing win.

"It's been great to see that she's been rated the highest-rated horse in the world, which really did show how good the win was, so we're still enjoying the celebrations of that victory. Most importantly just seeing how she is as a horse, in terms of going to that career-best high and what it takes out of her - she seems fine but you never really know until a few more days or even in fact until they run so we're just trying to preserve her to ensure that wasn't just a one-off.

"My job, as the coach, is to get her to win not just one race but many races and to advise the people that own the horse what's in her best interest." If she starts and is successful, Via Sistina would become only the second galloper to claim the Cox Plate-Melbourne Cup double this century, after record-breaking mare Makybe Diva (2005). The final field for the Melbourne Cup is set to be confirmed after Saturday's meeting at Flemington.

with AAP