Asterix Scratched from Melbourne Cup After Prohibited Race-Morning Treatment
Racegoers and followers of the Melbourne Cup face a late change to the Flemington field: stewards ordered Chris Waller-trained Asterix withdrawn on race day ...
Racegoers and followers of the Melbourne Cup face a late change to the Flemington field: stewards ordered Chris Waller-trained Asterix withdrawn on race day after finding a prohibited treatment had been applied to the horse’s forelegs.
The scratching cut the 3,200-metre race from 24 runners to 23. Asterix, a $61 outsider, had been scheduled to start from barrier six with Jye McNeil aboard. The withdrawal also prompted final adjustments to betting markets shortly before the feature race.
Stewards cite Penetrene treatment
Racing Victoria stewards said Penetrene had been administered to both of Asterix’s forelegs in the horse’s stable on race morning. The treatment breached racing rules, they said, and the horse was withdrawn by stewards’ order.
Stewards interviewed Waller after receiving a report from Racing Victoria’s Compliance Assurance Team. The update announcing the scratching did not include a charge or penalty against the trainer.
Asterix was the race-day withdrawal that changed the field. The final lineup had been confirmed at 24 runners, but the remaining 23 were set to contest the two-mile staying test at Flemington.
Race-day action at Flemington
The scratching came as horses paraded through the mounting yard and crowds arrived for Melbourne Cup Day. The race was already underway as a major event on Australia’s racing calendar, with the late change giving viewers and racegoers a new factor to follow before the contest.
Another late field change had also followed a veterinary inspection: Joseph O’Brien-trained Defiantly was ruled unsuitable to run, allowing stablemate Kizlyar to take its place. The race-day update on Asterix was separate, and reduced the Melbourne Cup field to 23.
Later, Point Of Law won the Cup for trainer Ciaron Maher, who secured the first three places. Jockey Ethan Brown, who returned after a serious fall in 2023 and six months away from racing, rode the winner. The field had 23 runners at the start.
