Tosen Basil, Red Verdon ruled out of Melbourne Cup
Trainer Ed Dunlop’s dream of winning the Melbourne Cup is over for another year after Red Verdon was ruled out of the big race.
Melbourne Cup
Don't miss out on the headlines from Melbourne Cup. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Trainer Ed Dunlop’s dream of winning the Melbourne Cup is over for another year after Red Verdon was ruled out of the big race on Saturday.
Dunlop’s team advied Racing Victoria stewards that the British raider would not accept for the Cup after pulling up sore from a gallop.
Vest inspected the stayer and did not pass him for to race. Damien Oliver, who was due to ride Red Verdon in the Cup, will now partner Red Cardinal in the 3200m staying test.
CELEB TIPS: WHY KATIE’S GOING BIG ON DERBY DAY
DERBY DAY SURVIVAL GUIDE: DON’T GO VIRAL
KOUKASH: OWNER VOWS TO COLLECT CUP IN G-STRING
On Friday, Darren Weir suffered another spring blow with his import Tosen Basil ruled out of the Melbourne Cup.
Weir contacted stewards late Friday to inform them he would not be accepting for Tuesday’s $7.3 million race with Tosen Basil after two substandard performances and a less than impressive track gallop on Friday morning.
The former Japanese horse had been well respected in Melbourne Cup markets after his slashing second in the Underwood Stakes, but was well beaten in the Caulfield Cup and the Moonee Valley Cup.
It caps a frustrating week for Weir, whose two runners in last week’s Cox Plate — Kings Will Dream and Humidor — suffered serious injuries during the race.
Racing Victoria stewards inspected the top 35 ranked horses for the Cup to determine their availability and revisited four contenders on Saturday morning, including Red Verdon.
They will also look again at Saeed bin Suroor’s Prizemoney, Iain Jardine’s Nakeeta — who moved to 24th in the order of entry after Tosen Basil’s withdrawal — and Archie Alexander’s Lord Fandango.
Dunlop’s travelling foreman Robin Trevor-Jones found a pulse in Red Verdon’s off-side foreleg after the horse spread a plate on Wednesday.
Red Verdon finished a disappointing 11th in the Caulfield Cup, but Dunlop was hopeful the $34 chance could bounce back but time ran out.
Dunlop’s much-loved galloper Red Cadeaux was a three-time runner-up in the Melbourne Cup — losing by a lip to Dunaden in the 2011 race — before he broke down in the 2015 race.
Sadly, the fight to save his life was unsuccessful.
The Melbourne Cup has lost a number of contenders to injury, including some internationals based at Werribee.
Duretto was ruled out after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foreleg.
Withhold bled in both nostrils in the Geelong Cup, while Emotionless had his spring curtailed by a leg injury.
Charlie Appleby’s Hamada was euthanised after sustaining a fracture to his near-hind leg.
Originally published as Tosen Basil, Red Verdon ruled out of Melbourne Cup