CT Scans At the Melbourne Cup

[skydy]

Down the racing rabbit hole a bit today, and wondering what the people involved in racing think of this.

Here is O’Brien’s reaction to his horse not passing the vet to run in the Melbourne Cup. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/racing/2024/10/29/aidan-obrien-melbourne-cup-furious-jan-brueghel-ruled-out/

Here is a short explanation of the process used by the Melbourne Cup, and why it is being used. https://www.rsn.net.au/news/rsn-podcast/rsn-racing-pulse/2024-10-30/leading-equine-vet-explains-the-jan-brueghel-scanning-procedure/671650

I have to say, I side with the Melbourne Cup people’s insistence of this protocol considering how their race has been marred by horse fatalities.

Another question; Are any U.S. tracks doing CTs in advance of their big races? (Breeders Cup Kentucky Derby etc…)

[mommy_peanut]

While it wasn’t CT scans, the BC did PET scans. Which caused a few horses to be Vet scratches.

[skydy]

They did MRI in Ireland where the horse passed the vet, yet the horse was refused in Australia due to the CT scan.

I thought the Vet who explained the procedure countered O’Brien’s statement that “the trainer knows the horse best and should decide” quite well, by saying that if the trainer could make the right call, there would be no fatalities and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

I’m glad we’re doing something proactively in the U.S.