Duke De Sessa will not defend his Caulfield Cup crown in 2025 after being withdrawn from contention due to a minor setback.
Racing Victoria stewards confirmed on Friday that the Ciaron Maher-trained galloper has been removed from nominations.
The seven-year-old claimed a memorable win in last year’s edition, surging clear to hand jockey Harry Coffey a 1.25-length victory.
He opted to skip the Melbourne Cup and instead contested the Champions Stakes over 2000m, where he was outclassed by Via Sistina.
This year, Duke De Sessa opened his campaign with two runner-up finishes in the Australian Cup Prelude and the Group 1 Tancred Stakes.
However, his form dipped in the Sydney Cup, where he finished well down the order.
His absence leaves a significant gap in the Caulfield Cup field, with Maher now looking to other stable contenders.
