Red Verdon to miss Melbourne Cup

Red Verdon has been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup because of injury.

Ed Dunlop’s charge finished a close-up eighth in Saturday’s Caulfield Cup, receiving superficial abrasions to three of his four legs in what was a troubled passage.

The six-year-old underwent a precautionary scan at the University of Melbourne on Monday following that run, and “an emerging bone issue” was found in his off foreleg.

Red Verdon will now miss the November 5 showpiece at Flemington, 12 months after a bruised heel forced him to bypass the previous edition of the Group One feature.

Dunlop’s travelling foreman Robin Trevor-Jones told www.racing.com: “Mike Shepherd is our excellent vet in Newmarket and he believes the issue could have been there three months ago and could still be three months after, and it’s something that needs managing.

“He has told us it’s something that needs looking after, and we’ve got to do best by Red Verdon.

“For the right reasons for the horse, he has been taken out.

“The fracture is minute. But this is where they start from, and everyone would be devastated if he did himself any damage by running.”