NEWS
Melbourne Cup runner-up faces possible DQ
Posted: Wednesday, December 03, 2008 5:45 PM
British-based stayer Bauer is in jeopardy of being disqualified from his runner-up finish in the Emirates Melbourne Cup (Aus-G1) on November 4 after allegedly undergoing illegal shock wave therapy in the days leading up to the race.
Shock wave therapy is used to treat orthopedic injuries and relieve pain in racehorses. Under Australian racing rules, horses cannot race within seven days of shock wave therapy. Bauer received the treatment from a veterinarian on October 30 for pain in his hindquarters.
In England, horses can race within a day of shock wave therapy, Sportal reported.
Bauer, who is trained by Luca Cumani, won the Petstock Geelong Cup (Aus-G3) on October 22 prior to finishing a nose behind Viewed in Australia’s most famous race. He won $567,967 (835,000 Australian) for second place.
Should Bauer be disqualified, third-place finisher C’Est La Guerre would be elevated to second and fourth-place finisher Master O’Reilly would be moved up to third.
Bauer’s connections deny any wrongdoing. The five-year-old Halling horse and his stablemate, Mad Rush, who finished seventh, were overseen by Cumani’s daughter Francesca prior to his arrival in Melbourne.
“We had a slight issue with Bauer and [the veterinarian] recommended the treatment,” Luca Cumani told Sydney radio station 2XY. “We were told it was OK, and we have to rely on the vet’s advice.
“The treatment is widely available in every racing country. It is only banned in England on race day, so I wasn’t aware there would be an issue. The vet was appointed by Racing Victoria to look after our horses; I thought everything was fine. I took it for granted that if he recommended it, it would be OK. I probably should have looked at the rules myself, and I was not aware this physiotherapy was not allowed.”
Stewards would not comment on the matter other than confirm that an investigation is under way. A formal inquiry will be scheduled when Bauer’s co-owner Terry Henderson returns to Australia from England on December 11.
