Just one horse, Interpretation, failed to finish the 2022 Melbourne Cup – and could be in trouble after jockey Craig Newitt declared afterwards: “He’s not right, that horse.”
Interpretation, also trained by the winning duo of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, was in doubt to even make the race after signs of lameness in the near fore and off hind on Monday, but passed a vet inspection on Tuesday morning.
“He just had a nail in the wrong spot and we took the shoe off and addressed the problem. It is back on now and looks fine. It is up to what they think in the morning,” Maher said Monday.
But the 4yo stallion from Ireland failed to complete the race, being pulled up early. Video showed him looking in reasonable condition as he returned to the sheds. All horses undergo a veterinary inspection post-race.
Channel 10 commentators said Interpretation had “pulled up OK” as he re-entered the mounting yard and walked down to the stripping shed.
“We’re hearing that Interpretation, who was eased out of the race early, has pulled up OK and they will obviously be testing the horse to see that he is fine to continue on, but came back into the mounting yard and walked down to the stripping sheds OK as well,” the commentator said.
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The Age’s Damien Ratcliffe shared on social media: “So far, it appears all 22 horses have safely competed in this year’s Melbourne Cup, Interpretation did not finish but appears a wind issue, action looks fine according to a Maher Eustace rep. Camorra didn’t handle conditions.”
Three other horses were walked over the line, but were all regarded as being fine.
Numerian finished 73 lengths behind the winner Gold Trip. Jockey Tommy Berry said: “He just got deleted at the top of the straight.”
Camorra and Serpentine both finished 99 lengths behind.
After the race, Camorra jockey Ben Melham said his horse was fine, but he opted to pull up and ease home after struggling with the wet conditions. He added: “He was hopeless on the ground when I let him down.”
Serpentine was backing up after a second-placed finish in Saturday’s Lexus Archer Stakes. which earned him a spot in today’s raockey John Allen said it was: “Disappointing. Probably didn’t really back up from Saturday.”
There were no fatalities from the race last year, after Irish stallion Anthony Van Dyck was euthanased after the 2020 edition.
Following his death, the industry implemented significant reforms including CT scans – which played a role in the scratchings of two 2022 would-be competitors.
