Past winner Efficient and Godolphin import Kirklees will not be running in Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.
Kirklees’ trainer, Saeed bin Suroor made the decision at Sandown this morning as he was not satisfied with the condition of the six year old.
Kirklees will now return to Dubai to prepare for the international carnival in March.
At 9am this morning, Efficient’s owner Lloyd Williams also gave the shocking news that the 2007 Cup winner will not be running in Tuesday’s race as the gelding had not responded positively to treatment for an injury.
Earlier this week, Racing Victoria had dispatched three veterinarians to Williams’ training facility after speculation that not all was well with Efficient.
However Williams will still have two possible runners in the $5.5 million race with C’est La Guerre and Zipping, depending on how the eight year old runs in today’s Mackinnon Stakes.
With Efficient and Kirklees out of the Melbourne Cup, Danny O’Brien’s five year old Vigor will skip the Mackinnon Stakes to focus on his Melbourne Cup campaign.
O’Brien is gambling that his Caulfield Cup placegetter will make his way into the Cup with the hope that more horses will drop out of contention before tonight’s final field is announced.
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