It’s that time of year when punters vent at the scratching of Melbourne Cup bound runners after failing a CT Scan.
This was highlighted by this morning’s scratching of Caulfield Cup winner Durston, with trainer Chris Waller accepting the veterinary ruling following a CT Scan.
Waller said the scans had picked up a grey area and that there was a small lesion in his left hind leg.
“The specialists cannot determine whether it is old or new or whether it is even something to be concerned about, but we must respect this,” Waller said in a statement.
“It is all about safety, for the horse and the rider and the longevity of the horses. It is very disappointing for all connections of the horse as well as my stable because so much time and effort goes into these horses; it’s just heartbreaking.”
Waller said Durston was “sound” after galloping well on Tuesday morning.
“My vet trotted him up following this however we must respect modern science and learn from this. The horse will undergo an MRI scan to investigate further.”
So what is a CT Scanner?
Racing Victoria (RV) introduced the standing CT scanner in 2019 as part of its ongoing commitment to better understand and reduce limb injuries in horses.
As a result of its ongoing Equine Limb Injury Prevention Program, RV together with the University of Melbourne (UoM) and the State Government invested $1.27 million in the purchase and construction of a standing CT scanner at the UoM’s U-Vet Equine Centre in Werribee. The first of its kind in Australia, the scanner is designed to help in the early detection of limb injuries that have the potential to become serious or fatal.
This video illustrates the use of standing CT scanner and features insights from Professor Chris Whitton, Head of the UoM’s U-Vet Equine Centre into the research being conducted to help trainers determine safe levels of training for horses while maintaining fitness to reduce the incidence of injury.
All horses – local and international – running in this year’s Melbourne Cup will undergo a standing CT scan as part of the increased safety measures introduced this year.
