Mandatory CT scans for Cup hopefuls

A post-mortem report into the death of Anthony Van Dyck has found that had the horse’s fetlocks been CT scanned in the lead-up to last year’s Melbourne Cup, it may have identified the potential for serious injury.

That finding is ‘‘one of the key drivers’’ behind Racing Victoria’s adoption of 41 new safety measures announced yesterday which includes more rigorous screening of international horses (New Zealand horses are not considered internationals).

Among the new measures, all internationals who travel to Melbourne will undergo mandatory pre-travel and post-arrival CT scanning, as well as scanning following any lead-up run before the Melbourne Cup.

Lead-up runs for the internationals have been capped to one event, meaning the connections of horses will have to choose whether they run in the Caulfield Cup, Moonee Valley Gold Cup or Geelong Cup, for example, should they wish to run before the first Tuesday of November.

Horses will not be allowed to race twice before the Cup and they will not be able to run in the exempt Hotham Handicap on Derby day, as the CT scanner at Werribee’s equine centre requires horses to be administered a mild sedation, which requires a clearance of five days before racing.

Just 24 imports will be allowed at Werribee, down from a maximum uncapped number of 41 horses in 2018.

Of 44 recommendations made by the review group, Racing Victoria and the Victoria Racing Club chose not to adopt three, those being a change to the good

4/3 track policy, a reduction in the Cup field from 24 to 20 and an increase in the minimum benchmark rating of a horse to

110.

The CT scans of all horses will be reviewed by a panel of Racing Victoria appointed experts, including a specialist in equine surgery, an international specialist in equine surgery and a specialist in veterinary diagnostic imaging, before being passed fit.

Just three Melbourne Cup runners were CT scanned before last year’s race.