‘Ridiculous but that’s the way it is’: Trainer Aidan O’Brien on vets ruling Jan Brueghel out of 2024 Melbourne Cup

Master trainer Aidan O’Brien left no one uncertain as to his opinion on veterinary advice that saw his unbeaten Galileo stallion Jan Brueghel ruled out of Tuesday’s $5 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.

“It’s ridiculous but that’s the way it is.”

Master trainer Aidan O’Brien left no one uncertain as to his opinion on veterinary advice that saw his unbeaten Galileo stallion Jan Brueghel ruled out of Tuesday’s $5 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.

Jan Brueghel, who was a $7.50 second favourite in Melbourne Cup betting yesterday morning, was presented last Saturday at the University of Melbourne Equine Centre in Werribee for a compulsory scan which Racing Victoria said indicated the horse was “currently at heightened risk of injury.”

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Overnight, O’Brien revealed the latest scan – a standing CT of the lower legs – showed “a little thing on the front leg, a little shadow, and a little shadow on the hind leg”.

“Most scans are a view and an opinion,” O’Brien told Sky Sports Racing’s At The Races.

“He did the scans here (in the UK) – the most rigorous scans you can go through – and he went through them, and then they had another scan obviously the last few days.

“He’s never trotted better, moved better, everything was perfect, they said there’s a little thing on the front leg, a little shadow, and a little shadow on the hind leg, but I would imagine any developing three year old this time of the year you will get shadows, the same as human beings, here, there and everywhere.

"We thought he was a massive handicap blot!"

Aidan O'Brien tells @MCYeeehaaa his frustrations over Jan Brueghel's Melbourne Cup withdrawal... pic.twitter.com/waUs2pMzHg

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 29, 2024

• Melbourne Cup second favourite Jan Brueghel ruled out by vets

“Like – horses have fissures, very few turn into fractures. It’s probably gone a bit ridiculous but that’s the way it is. When you go down now, one time when horses were trotting it was always the vet’s opinion whether the horse was lame but now there’s an app on the phone and the phone videos and the phone tells the vet whether they’re lame or sound.

“It’s become a little bit ridiculous, but listen, they’re the rules and that’s their decision, like I said it’s unlucky for us and lucky for them.”

O’Brien said the unbeaten Group 1 St Leger winner would return home before a decision on whether to tackle the Hong Kong Cup (2400m) in December.

“Everything was perfect, he went through all the hoops and all the scans and then another scan he had to do down there, and our vets looked and they were fine and the Australian vets weren’t happy with him,” O’Brien said.

“I suppose the way to look at it is, unlucky for us and probably lucky for them because we think he was a Group 1 horse proper, an improving Group 1 horse in a handicap, with 8’7 (54kg) with Ryan Moore on him, listen it’s easy said now but we thought he was a massive handicap blot but that’s the way it is, they’re the rules and that’s what they decided.”

Aidan O'Brien star Jan Brueghel is out of the Melbourne Cup after failing a veterinary inspection.

STORY: https://t.co/XIJ7lOMZE5pic.twitter.com/vcpbqWRZGi

— Racenet (@RacenetTweets) October 28, 2024

• ‘Great to see him back’: Gai lures Singo back to Flemington

The Jan Brueghel decision plus doubts on whether Cox Plate winner Via Sistina would start next Tuesday saw a huge shake-up in Melbourne Cup betting yesterday.

Buckaroo, who worked nicely at Flemington on Tuesday morning, has firmed $6 into $5 with Ladbrokes for the Cup, while Via Sistina eased $5.50 to $8.

The withdrawal of Jan Brueghel cut the prices of Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator ($8-$6.50), Vauban ($9-$7) and Land Legend ($21-13).

2024 MELBOURNE CUP BETTING
Odds: Ladbrokes (correct at 7.30am 30/10/24)
$5 Buckaroo
$6.50 Onesmoothoperator
$7 Vauban
$8 Via Sistina (doubtful)
$11 Absurde, Interpretation
$13 Land Legend
$15 Kovalica
$17 Okita Soushi
$26 Zardozi
$31 Circle Of Fire, Warp Speed
$34 Athabascan
$41 Muramasa
$51 Brayden Star, Francesco Guardi, Just Fine, Positivity
$61 The Map, Valiant King
$71 Sea King, Sharp ‘N’ Smart
$101+ others

Originally published as ‘Ridiculous but that’s the way it is’: Trainer Aidan O’Brien on vets ruling Jan Brueghel out of 2024 Melbourne Cup