UPDATED: Sunday, Nov. 22, 2.30 p.m. AEDT: Beloved race horse Red Cadeaux has been euthanised after loss of blood flow to his injured leg. "It's certainly a tragedy, but at the end of the day we have to make sure the welfare of the horse is paramount and Red Cadeaux's no longer in pain," Racing Victoria CEO Bernard Saundry told ABC News.
UPDATED: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7.50 p.m. AEDT: Red Cadeaux's condition has now been deemed stable. "Dr Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne advised that the injury is not currently life threatening, however the horse will not race again," a statement from Racing Victoria's Veterinary Services said.
In an incident echoing the 2014 Melbourne Cup, which tragically left two horses dead, veteran gelding Red Cadeaux failed to finish the nation-stopping race on Tuesday and was seen being rushed to a vet.
"We don’t know what the situation is but it’s not looking good," owner Ronald Arculli told the South China Morning Post.
The 10-year-old horse, which has finished runner-up in the Cup three times, sustained a suspected fetlock injury, the Flemington Racecourse confirmed on Twitter.
We confirm Red Cadeaux incurred a suspected fetlock injury during the Emirates Melbourne Cup & has been taken to vet clinic for assessment.— FlemingtonRacecourse (@FlemingtonVRC) November 3, 2015
Veterinarians have stabilised the horse’s left foreleg and he is now at the University of Melbourne's Werribee Veterinary Clinic, Racing Victoria’s head of equine welfare and veterinary services, Brian Stewart, said in a statement.
Trained by Ed Dunlop, the horse was a sentimental favourite after a long, globetrotting career. The injury appears to have been sustained towards the end of the race, and despite being treated on the field, the horse was able to walk to its trailer.
Red Cadeaux reportedly been taken to a vet near the track. Was able to walk into trailer. Fingers crossed he's alright.— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) November 3, 2015
The incident was a stark reminder of last year, when two horses lost their lives after the race. Japanese-entry, Admire Rakti, collapsed in his stall after the event and passed away from heart failure. Another competitor, Araldo, was put down because of a fractured leg.
The fate of the two horses renewed calls from animal rights activists and many members of the public to improve protections for the competitors, or even to end horse racing altogether.
The news Tuesday afternoon sparked an outpouring of support for Red Cadeaux on social media, including from Labor Party leader, Bill Shorten.
Willing Red Cadeaux to come through with all our might #MelbourneCup— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) November 3, 2015
Just reading about Red Cadeaux... Prayers the vets can save him. #MelbourneCup— Maryanne (@imwebgurl) November 3, 2015
Can't tell you how heartbroken I'd be if we lost Red Cadeaux. My plan is to meet him at Living Legends should he go there— Luke Humphreys (@WorldRacingLuke) November 3, 2015
Damn. Healing prayers for Red Cadeaux, beloved globetrotting gelding. https://t.co/MWbXvWwc7c— Emily White (@racehorsewriter) November 3, 2015