Chris Waller’s Caulfield Cup winner Durston will not race in next Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup after he failed his mandatory CT scan.
All horses nominated for the Melbourne Cup must pass a CT scan to take their place in the race, after Racing Victoria introduced stringent veterinary requirements two years ago following a spate of deaths in the Melbourne Cup, which culminated in the death of Anthony Van Dyck in the 2020 Cup.
Caulfield Cup winner Durston will not compete in the Melbourne Cup after failing a CT scan.Credit:Getty Images
CT scans last year detected potential injury risks to a number of horses en route to the Cup, and they missed the race, but Durston is the first horse this year to be ruled out from racing.
Waller said he was “extremely disappointed” but respected the technology, which found a small lesion in Durston’s left hind leg during a scan at Melbourne Equine Centre in Werribee last Friday.
“The specialists cannot determine whether it is old or new, or whether it is even something to be concerned about, but we must respect this,” Waller said.
“It is all about safety, for the horse, and for the rider and the longevity of the horses. It is very disappointing for all connections of the horse, as well as my stable, because so much time and effort goes into these horses; it’s just heartbreaking.
“Durston is sound, he galloped well on Tuesday morning and my vet trotted him up following this however we must respect modern science and learn from this. The horse will undergo an MRI scan to investigate further.”
Waller was one of a number of experts who was involved in Racing Victoria’s extensive review following the 2020 spring carnival, and was instrumental in providing recommendations to make future Cups safer.
