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Irish stallion Interpretation has failed to finish in the 2022 Melbourne Cup, but has avoided significant injury, Racing Victoria says.
Key points:
- Melbourne Cup runner Interpretation has avoided severe injury despite not finishing the race
- Racing Victoria reported no injuries, marking the Cup's second fatality-free race in a row
- Two other horses were scratched from the race after failing to pass screening tests
The official Channel 10 broadcast heard the Australian-trained horse was "eased out" early from the race.
Commentators said Interpretation had "pulled up OK" as he re-entered the mounting yard and walked down to the stripping shed.
In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, a Racing Victoria spokesperson said veterinary teams had notified stewards post-race examinations did not reveal any "significant findings to any Melbourne Cup runners at this time".
Interpretation was trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, who also trained the winning six-year-old stallion Gold Trip.
The previous day, Interpretation's participation in the race had been in doubt after some lameness was detected in the horse's legs.
Trailing the Melbourne Cup field were Camorra, Serpentine and Numerian, who finished well behind the winner, sparking initial reports the horses had not finished the race.
Numerian ultimately finished more than 73 lengths behind Gold Trip, while Serpentine and Camorra finished 99 lengths behind.
Tougher screening measures for Cup horses
It is the Cup's second fatality-free race in a row, and comes two years after Irish stallion Anthony Van Dyck broke down mid-race in 2020 and was euthanased afterwards.
A review into his death found the fatal injuries may have been avoided if he had undergone a CT scan before the race.
In response, the industry adopted tougher screening measures including standing CT scans.
The new screening protocols saw two planned runners in the 2022 Melbourne Cup scratched.
Seven-year-old mare Lunar Flare was ruled out of the race due to lameness in her off-fore, while five-year-old stallion Point Nepean was scratched on Monday following elevated blood test results.