Melbourne Cup day live 2024: Why long shot had to be scratched in cruel blow

in Sports

Reading Time: 6 mins read

The 2024 Melbourne Cup is here, with 23 local and international racing over 3200m for one of horse racing’s most prestigious trophies — and a whopping $8 million in prizemoney.

The 164th running of the historic race will be help at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday afternoon at 3pm AEDT.

Follow below for all the drama and action, with racing to begin at 10.45am AEST with plenty of intriguing betting moves sure to be made in the market ahead of the big one.

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FIELD REDUCED AS LONG SHOT FORCED OUT

Connections of outsider Athabascan suffered a cruel blow with the horse having to be scratched from the field on Monday night.

The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained gelding was found to have a cardiac arrhythmia when Racing Victoria vets completed their second round of pre-race inspections.

“ECG reports and the results of blood tests were then forwarded to three independent experts specialising in equine internal medicine, including cardiology,” Racing Victoria said in a statement.

“They each independently advised that, due to the nature of the cardiac arrhythmia, Athabascan should undergo further extensive testing before being permitted to race again on the grounds of safety.

“Acting on these opinions and having considered additional material provided by the stable, RV veterinarians advised the Stewards that in their view the horse should be withdrawn from the Melbourne Cup due to an increased risk of a cardiac episode.

Athabascan, who finished runner-up in the 2024 Sydney Cup and was to by Zac Lloyd, was rated a $67 chance at the time of his scratching.

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FLEMINGTON RACE CARD & RESULTS

Race 1 10:45am Darley Maribyrnong Plate (Group 3) 1000m

Race 2 11.20am TAB Trophy (Listed) 1800m

Race 3 12pm MSS Security Subzero Handicap 1400m

Race 4 12.40pm Schweppervescence Plate 1000m

Race 5 1.20pm Australian Heritage Cup 2800m

Race 6 1.55pm Furphy Plate (Listed) 1800m