Cup death prompts demands for change
Animal welfare advocates are calling for substantial changes in Australian racing following the death of a Melbourne Cup runner on Tuesday.
Irish horse The Cliffsofmoher fractured his right shoulder when running down the straight the first time at Flemington and was euthanised after the race.
The Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses has called for immediate changes to the way the racing industry operates.
‘‘We are calling on the racing industry to phase out two-yearold racing and ban the whip so that horses are not pushed beyond their limits,’’ spokesperson Elio Celotto said.
It’s a call that will be hugely unpopular in the racing sector. Two-year-old racing is lucrative in Australia with millions of dollars of prizemoney on offer.
The biggest of them all, the Golden Slipper, is the world’s richest juvenile race. In 2018 it was worth A$3.5 million (NZ$3.79m) .
RSPCA Australia said the death of The Cliffsofmoher ‘‘highlights very real risks to horses from racing’’.
Spokeswoman Jane Speechley said the death is another example of ‘‘a dark reality’’ behind the gloss and glamour of Melbourne Cup celebrations.
‘‘RSPCA Australia has long voiced its concerns about the welfare of racehorses, including the use of inhumane devices such as whips and tongue ties, as well as the risk to injury and death during races.
‘‘The racing industry has much work to do across industry standards and enforceable regulations, to meet community expectations and care for the welfare of the animals involved,’’ she said.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it wanted an investigation into the horse’s death.
‘‘Cliffsofmoher [is] the most recent victim of the cruel annual spectacle known as the Melbourne Cup,’’ a PETA spokesman said.
Hundreds of anti-racing protesters took to social media to condemn the racing industry in the wake of the death.
Many were angry the presentations for race winner Cross Counter continued as The Cliffsofmoher was being euthanised just a couple of hundred metres away.
Jamie Stier, Racing Victoria’s manager of integrity services, said The Cliffsofmoher received immediate veterinary care but was unable to be saved due to the nature of the injury sustained.
‘‘This was an unfortunate incident that happens infrequently, with Victoria having one of the best safety records in world racing,’’ Stier said.
Peta said 119 horses were pronounced dead on Australian tracks between August 2017 and July 2018.
The Melbourne Cup has been marred by deaths in recent times.
Fan favourite Red Cadeaux was pulled up in the final straight of the 2015 edition of the race and it was later confirmed he suffered a break in his left foreleg. He was treated by vets for three weeks after the race, but was eventually euthanised.
Admire Rakti was a Japanese racehorse who collapsed and died from cardiac arrest at the Melbourne Cup in 2014.
British-born Araldo shattered a leg after being frightened by spectators; he was also put down in 2014.