Overview
- A two-horse fall in the closing stages of the Caulfield Cup on Saturday saw defending champion Half Yours clip heels and go down, and the mare Ohope Wins fall shortly after and be humanely euthanised when vets confirmed her injuries were catastrophic.
- Both jockeys involved, Mark Zahra and Jye McNeil, were conscious after the fall, were taken to hospital for assessment, and were cleared for discharge by Sunday morning.
- Trainer Tony McEvoy reported Half Yours sustained superficial lacerations and staples but walked back to the stable and is unlikely to resume the current spring campaign because he cannot work for about 10 days.
- Gavin Bedggood’s longshot Kingswood was declared the winner of the $6 million Caulfield Cup, but the victory was immediately overshadowed by the on-track emergency response and the death of Ohope Wins.
- Racing Victoria stewards have opened an inquiry and RV Veterinary Services will review the incident while animal-welfare groups renewed calls for greater industry accountability and pointed to recent pre-travel and pre-start CT scanning rules that aim to reduce race breakdowns.