Scary Right You Are, Gold Trip moments send shudder through Cup

Eagle-eyed punters were fearing the worst after one of the big betting firmers in the Melbourne Cup dropped off the pack down the straight.

The 2023 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Without A Fight completing the first Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double since Ethereal in 2001 to romp home to a victory.

But eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that one of the big betting movers on Cup Day — Right You Are — dropped off the back of the pack late in the race and officially failed to finish the race.

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It left plenty of people holding their breath but Right You Are was reportedly just struggling on a hot day.

The horse reportedly walked back to the stalls and the veterinary team were doing their assessments.

Right You Are is all OK thankfully. Just struggled on the hot day. But he’s all good! #MelbourneCuppic.twitter.com/6A7wvzBc61

— Andrew Hawkins (@AndrewNJHawkins) November 7, 2023

Channel 10 also reported that 2022 Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip could “feel the track” as it firmed over the day and was reportedly “absolutely fine”.

Gold Trip ultimately finished in 17th place.

For all those asking about Gold Trip, he’s absolutely fine too. Firm track and solidly run race. What a warrior he has been the last two springs! #MelbourneCuppic.twitter.com/MoY1zK6aST

— Andrew Hawkins (@AndrewNJHawkins) November 7, 2023

But while there were concerns, the 163rd running of the Melbourne Cup was all clear.

The Age’s chief racing reporter Damien Ractliffe tweeted after the race: “Incident free 2023 Melbourne Cup.

“All 23 horses have got around safely, despite the race being strongly-run in warm conditions.

“There were also no whip breaches or instances of interference in the race.”

Eddie McGuire, who was hosting the Channel 10 coverage, also confirmed the stewards had passed the runners.

“The news coming through from the stewards is all horses have returned sound,” he said.

Backing the winner of the Cup is awesome but there is genuinely nothing that compares to seeing Right You Are return to the mounting yard

— Will Elford (@WillElford) November 7, 2023

The Age also reported that Virtuous Circle was pulled up in the straight.

Vets will continue to monitor all the runners.

It’s positive news for the event after seven deaths between 2013 and 2020 had marred the biggest day on the horseracing calendar.

They were Verema (2013), Admire Rakti, Araldo (2014), Red Cadeaux (2015), The Cliffsofmoher (2018) and Anthony Van Dyck (2020). In 2017, Regal Monarch was also euthanised after breaking down in Race 4 on Cup Day.

All seven of the fatalities were foreign runners, with the last Australian horse to die on Cup Day was in 1979.

There have been no fatalities on Cup Day in the past three years.

Jockey John Allen returns Right You Are after it broke down on the straight. Picture: David Caird

But the death of promising two-year-old filly Rejuvenate, who collapsed on track on Friday has cast a dark cloud over the event once again.

The cause of the injury has yet to be determined but is being investigated.

While there are now annual protests outside Flemington on Cup Day over the treatment of horses, an estimated 168 horses have been killed on Australian racetracks in the last racing year, according to the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses.

“Equine welfare always has and always will be paramount to the VRC,” a statement on the VRC website reads.

“The safety of the horses, along with all racing participants and racegoers, is our absolute number one priority.

“The VRC and the broader racing community continues to make significant investments in research and technology to advance safety and reductions in injuries in training and races.

“For example, in 2021 we worked in conjunction with Racing Victoria to announce 41 new measures for the Spring Racing Carnival and the Melbourne Cup, including some of the world’s most stringent pre-travel and pre-race veterinary screening processes.

“These have been revised and extended and will continue to be reviewed to ensure that Victoria sets the global bar for safety in horse racing.”