Furious Aidan O'Brien slams decision to remove Jan Brueghel from Melbourne Cup after controversial vets check

Aidan O'Brien has hit out at the Racing Victoria stewards over their decision not to allow Jan Brueghel to run in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup, labelling the decision to ignore the horsemen and women responsible for the horse "ridiculous".

Ireland's perennial champion trainer had his hopes of winning a first Melbourne Cup dashed when his unbeaten St Leger hero and ante-post favourite was dramatically ruled out of Tuesday's Flemington showpiece (4.00am) after failing a vets check.

A statement released on the stewards' behalf said CT scan results had revealed he is "at heightened risk of injury".

However, a combative O'Brien, who had refused to have runners at the Melbourne Cup Carnival in recent years due to what he has long felt are overly strict veterinary checks and had only returned this year after a cooling of hostilities, slammed the decision. 

At Del Mar, where O'Brien was overseeing City Of Troy's preparation for his Breeders' Cup Classic bid, he was asked if it was devastating news and said: "It was, absolutely."

O'Brien's frustration was in no small part due to his confidence in Jan Brueghel. He added: "It was unlucky for us, lucky for them. He was a Group 1 horse in a handicap with 8st 7lb and Ryan Moore riding him. And he was getting better every week and he only ever won by very little. So that's the way it is."

St Leger winner Jan Brueghel had been vying for favouritism for the Melbourne CupCredit: Edward Whitaker

O'Brien revealed Coolmore Australia's vets did not agree with the Racing Victoria stewards. He said: "They made the decision and our vets didn't agree with that.

"They said there was a shadow in front and a shadow behind, but every three-year-old at this time will have shadows and fissures and have this and have that. There comes a point when it becomes ridiculous, the horsemen and women have been taken out of the picture."

O'Brien compared the veterinary checks unfavourably to those in place at the Breeders' Cup and made a clear and barbed dig at the Australian authorities' use of technology in the process.

He added: "In this part of the world, it's horsemen who decide. There are other parts of the world where we have had a horse, where the horse trots in front of a phone. The phone videos the trot and the phone tells you whether he is sound or not."

Jan Brueghel had been working at Werribee, where the international runners are based, on Tuesday before the decision was made. It is believed the pre-race scans took place on Saturday.

Jan Brueghel was set to be the only runner in this year's Melbourne Cup for O'Brien, who has not been represented in the race since 2020 when Tiger Moth finished second to Twilight Payment. The 2019 Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck suffered a fatal injury in that year's race.

In the past O'Brien has also heavily criticised the rigorous testing of international runners before they get to Werribee.

The Racing Victoria stewards statement read: "Reports received from an expert panel of internationally renowned equine surgeons and diagnostic imaging specialists, who reviewed Jan Brueghel’s CT scan results, indicate that the horse is currently at heightened risk of injury.

"Following advice from RV Veterinary Services in relation to the specialist opinions from the independent imaging panel, Racing Victoria stewards ordered the withdrawal of Jan Brueghel from the Melbourne Cup on the basis that he was unsuitable to compete."

With Jan Brueghel out, Buckaroo is now 7-2 favourite (from 5-1) with Coral for the Lexus-backed Melbourne Cup. The Brian Ellison-trained Onesmoothoperator is next at 5-1 alongside Vauban for Willie Mullins and brilliant Cox Plate winner Via Sistina, while Mullins' other runner Absurde is 9-1.

Lexus Melbourne Cup (4.00 Flemington, November 5)
Coral: 7-2 Buckaroo, 5 Onesmoothoperator, Vauban, Via Sistina, 9 Absurde, 11 Land Legend, 14 Kovalica, 20 Interpretation, 25 Okita Soushi,  Zardozi, 33 bar

Read these next:

'I know I've got a good one' - Onesmoothoperator slashed for Melbourne Cup glory after impressive Geelong Cup win 

Vauban back in Australia for Melbourne Cup redemption as jockey plans are confirmed for Willie Mullins contenders 

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