Classy European stayer Torcedor is out of Melbourne Cup contention after spiking a temperature.
Nine horses entered quarantine in England and Ireland overnight but the Andreas Wohler-trained Torcedor did not enter quarantine in Europe, meaning he will not be travelling to Melbourne for this year’s Cup.
The Willie Mullins-trained Max Dynamite, who finished second in the 2015 Melbourne Cup and third last year, was also an absentee.
“High-class stayer Torcedor, who was assigned 57kg for the Melbourne Cup, had intended to travel but was a late withdrawal on vets’ advice after recording a high temperature,” Racing Victoria said.
“The Aidan O’Brien-trained duo Flag of Honour and Kew Gardens, plus Willie Mullins’ pair Thomas Hobson and Max Dynamite also featured prominently in the early betting markets for the Melbourne Cup 2018, but will not travel to Australia this year.”
The horses who entered quarantine overnight were Magic Circle, Muntahaa, Latrobe, Marmelo, Rostropovich, Idaho, The Pentagon, Nakeeta and Master Of Reality.
“Due to the space restrictions at Racing Victoria’s Werribee International Horse Centre, the horse with the lowest rating, the Joseph O’Brien-trained Master of Reality, would only board the flight should one of the other eight not travel,” RV said.
Three Charlie Appleby-trained internationals are already at Werribee including Jungle Cat who won last Saturday’s Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, while another 27 horses from Europe are set to arrive on Saturday.
The group of horses to enter quarantine overnight is scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on October 13.
