Melbourne Cup fancy Jameka to face vets, Michelle Payne can’t get a ride

MELBOURNE Cup drama continued Friday with Michelle Payne almost certainly missing a ride and trouble for the highly fancied Jameka.

MELBOURNE Cup drama continued Friday with Michelle Payne almost certainly missing a ride in the race and the highly fancied Jameka to face a veterinary examination.

Possible rides for Payne dried up after Godolphin trainer Saeed Bin Suroor booked Stephen Baster to ride Secret Number and Damian Lane for Beautiful Romance.

Payne was desperate for a Cup ride after riding Prince of Penzance to victory last year.

Jameka will undergo another Racing Victoria veterinary examination this morning after she shifted a plate in track work yesterday.

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Ciaron Maher’s Caulfield Cup winner was among the final 32 Cup acceptors to undergo examinations to clear them for Tuesday’s $6.2 million race.

Although the mare’s near fore hoof was bandaged yesterday, chief steward Terry Bailey stressed the examination was purely precautionary.

“It’s absolutely for precaution,” Bailey said.

“She trotted up sound. There is a bandage on it, but they took the bandage off and she trotted up sound.

“And it all seems fine, but we want to double check it in case it goes the other way overnight or something.”

Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne can’t get a ride on Tuesday. Picture: Colleen Petch

All of the 32 final acceptors, including Jameka, have been declared suitable to race after Racing Victoria’s veterinarians completed their examinations yesterday.

The compulsory inspections were completed during the past two days on the provisional field of 24, plus an additional eight acceptors who could jump into the field.

Final acceptances will be taken at 4.30pm today following the Lexus Stakes (2500m).

All horses that compete in the Lexus Stakes, which contains confirmed and possible Melbourne Cup runners, will also be inspected again before the acceptance deadline.

A panel of vets, led by RV’s Manager of Veterinary Services, Dr Grace Forbes, conducted the inspections to ensure all horses engaged are healthy and in a suitable condition to compete.

“The health and welfare of our equine athletes is paramount so we ensure an annual inspection is conducted on all the potential runners before the Emirates Melbourne Cup to certify that the horses are all presented in a suitable condition to race,” Dr Forbes said.

“While trainers are very responsible about presenting their horses on race day in a fit condition, these inspections are an additional measure we have put in place to protect the integrity of the $6.2 million race and ensure that the welfare of these horses isn’t compromised.”

Originally published as Melbourne Cup fancy Jameka to face vets, Michelle Payne can’t get a ride