Tuesday, November 03, 2020

Talking Horses: Melbourne Cup angst at fatalities among overseas raiders

The Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck is the sixth horse to die after taking part in the Melbourne Cup since 2013 and concern is mounting

Controversy and recrimination once more featured in the aftermath to the Melbourne Cup, Tuesday’s running of the famous Australian race being marred by the death of last year’s Derby winner, Anthony Van Dyck, while a record fine of A$50,000 (£27,430) was handed out to the jockey Kerrin McEvoy for a breach of the whip rules. The dismal news dominated headlines about the race on local websites and led to suggestions that the Cup was becoming a net negative for the sport in Australia.

Related: Talking Horses: We will do better, says owners' chief after strategy flak

The reality is the Melbourne Cup, once racing's best showcase, has become a net negative for the image of racing. The combination of softer boned northern hemisphere horses, the hard Flemington track and 3200m is not a good one.

Tips by Chris Cook

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from Sportblog | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2I5veFS

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