‘It’s just heartbreaking’: Durston out of Melbourne Cup after failing CT scan

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.

Last year, Young Werther and Harpo Marx were both forced to withdraw from the Melbourne Cup after CT scans found them to be at a heightened risk of injury.

Racing Victoria’s general manager of international and operations Paul Bloodworth said there were still more CT scan results to process ahead of next Tuesday’s race.

“The internationals out here at Werribee had their CT scans on Tuesday, so we’re still waiting for those results,” Bloodworth told RSN radio on Thursday morning.

“All 34 horses had the CT scan so, over coming days, we have to have a final answer by final acceptances on Saturday, so we’ll have all that information prior to then.

“I suspect over the next 48 hours all trainers will be advised of the outcomes of their CTs.”

Champion jockey Damien Oliver had been booked to ride the Caulfield Cup winner in next Tuesday’s race, but has now been left without a ride as he searches for a record-equalling fourth Cup win.

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