Favoured for the G1 Melbourne Cup next month, two-time Group 1 winner Sir Delius (Frankel) has been ruled out of both the G1 Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup by Racing Victoria stewards due to a heightened injury profile.
Owned by a partnership that includes Go Bloodstock Australia, the four-year-old colt has run first or second in all four runs Down Under. A winner of Doomben's G3 JRA Chairman's Handicap in May, he was second in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick last month. Successful in the G1 Underwood Stakes next, he prevailed in the G1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington most recently on October 4.
“Having reviewed the PET scan results alongside the CT scan results, the panel members have advised RV Veterinary Services that they remain of the view that Sir Delius is currently at heightened risk of injury,” a Racing Victoria press release read.
“Following advice from RV Veterinary Services in relation to the specialist opinions from the imaging panel, RV Stewards have stood down Sir Delius from competing in the remainder of the 2025 Spring Racing Carnival. The Stewards have appraised the connections of the key information that they relied upon in making their decision.”
A 675,000gns Tattersalls December weanling purchase by MV Magnier from Furnace Mill Stud, Sir Delius sold to Go Bloodstock, De Burgh Equine, Waterhouse and Bott Racing and McKeever Bloodstock for 1.3 million gns out of the 2024 Tattersalls Autumn Horses-in-Training Sale. During his time under the tutelage of Jean-Claude Rouget in the Sue Magnier colours prior to his seven-figure sale, Sir Delius won the G3 Prix du Lys and was also placed in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G2 Prix Niel.
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