Fury as two more horses are ruled out of the Melbourne Cup despite being ‘happy, healthy and in great form’ – as irate owners say race bosses have gone too far

Representatives from Busuttin Stables are fuming after Racing Victoria vets controversially ruled out two of their entrants ahead of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

Muramasa and Brayden Star were both withdrawn by RV, who felt the stayers were at a ‘heightened risk of injury’ if they were to run in the 3200m feature race at Flemington. 

The development follows top European entrant Jan Brueghel also being revoked, much to the frustration of leading trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Additionally, Cox Plate winner Via Sistina was withdrawn by trainer Chris Waller.

‘(We) welcome the processes put in place by Racing Victoria…however, there is no sugar-coating it, our team is very disappointed as our horse has never been so outwardly happy, healthy and in great form,’ a statement from the Busuttin-Young stable read in relation to Brayden Star.

‘Having been advised we are out of the running for the Cup because ‘there may be a shadow that could possibly develop into a stress fracture in the future’ is perplexing.’

Decorated Irish trainer O’Brien also didn’t mince his words.

His own vets viewed the scans and declared ‘they were fine’ – but Australian vets disagreed.

‘Most scans are a view or an opinion. He [Jan Brueghel] did the most rigorous scans he could go through and he went through them. He had another scan the last few days, never trotted better, moved better,’ a seething O’Brien said.

Given the four-year-old is undefeated in four starts – and won the Group 1 Leger Stakes in England in September – O’Brien knows an opportunity to win Australia’s greatest race may have been taken away by Racing Victoria vets.

‘It is devastating, absolutely,’ O’Brien added. He was going to have [elite jockey] Ryan Moore riding him, plus he was getting better every race.

‘They [Racing Victoria] made the decision and our vets didn’t agree with that. 

‘They said there was a shadow in front and a shadow behind (in his leg bones) but every three-year-old at this time of year has shadows and fissures.

‘There comes a point when it becomes ridiculous – the horsemen and women have been taken out of the picture. In this part of the world, horsemen decide.’

The Melbourne Cup has had six fatalities in the past decade – including O’Brien’s 2019 Epsom Derby hero Anthony van Dyck.

Saturday afternoon will see the top 24 horses confirmed in the order of entry ahead of the race that stops the nation.