Spanish Mission fails test vets to re-examine Melbourne Cup fancy

By Damien RactliffeUpdated October 29, 2021 â€" 3.26pmfirst published at 12.06pm

Spanish Mission has failed a second veterinary inspection on Friday, but will have a third visit from Racing Victoria’s head vet Dr Grace Forbes on Saturday to determine his fitness ahead of Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Tony Noonan, who is looking after the horse on behalf of British trainer Andrew Balding, says the horse may have picked up an infection to his right foreleg, which was found to have swelling on a vet inspection on Thursday.

Spanish Mission during trackwork at Werribee Racecourse last week.Credit:Racing Photos

“We believe the horse has got a skin irritation in his pastern,” Noonan said.

“He might have a slight infection from the knock that he had yesterday. It’s improving, and he’ll be assessed again tomorrow.

“But I’d be confident that he’d be pretty well right.”

Spanish Mission, considered the biggest danger to favourite Incentivise in Tuesday’s Cup, failed a routine veterinary inspection on Thursday after he was found to have swelling in his right foreleg.

Noonan believed the horse received a knock playing around in his box at Werribee, but ice has reduced the swelling and the second favourite hasn’t missed any work preparing for Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup.

Racing Victoria said Spanish Mission would be given until acceptances on Saturday to prove his fitness.

“The veterinarians reported that the swelling in the horse’s right foreleg had resolved, however some heat was still detected in the area. This is consistent with a case of mild cellulitis â€" an infection under a horse’s skin,” Racing Victoria said in a statement.

“In consultation with representatives for trainer Andrew Balding, the decision was made to send Spanish Mission to the U-Vet Equine Centre in Werribee this afternoon for further examination.

“Following examination by specialists at the U-Vet Equine Centre, Spanish Mission has returned to the TAB International Horse Centre.

“RV veterinarians will re-examine the horse tomorrow to determine its suitability to accept for the Melbourne Cup ahead of the 4.30pm acceptance deadline.”

The Chosen One and Delphi were re-examined on Friday and passed fit after showing mild lameness in an earlier inspection.

Future Score, She’s Ideel, Fun Fact and Derby contender Forgot You, She’s Ideel, Fun Fact and Forgot You were examined for the first time on Friday and also passed fit.

Earlier on Friday, Noonan was confident the horse would overcome his issue to be passed fit to run.

“[Our vet] is completely happy with him,” Noonan said of Spanish Mission on Friday morning, before the second vet test.

“We scanned it yesterday and there was no sign of any damage, no ligament, tendon, bone damage. We don’t think it’s a sprain.

“By deduction, you can get to the point where there’s only a little bit of swelling there, so it must be from a knock. He wears boots in his work so we doubt it was in his work.

“His box was a little bit turned upside down, so he’s obviously had a roll and he’s probably hit it getting up, which they can do, and then left for three or four hours.”

Noonan said the swelling had reduced since Thursday.

“It would be like you making a tap on your ankle and if you left it for a couple of hours, there’d be some swelling there and a little bit of pain,” he said.

“But this morning he’s as good as gold. We’ve been able to treat him, ice and water and those sorts of things.”

Because of high winds across Victoria on Friday morning, Spanish Mission did not work at Werribee in the morning.

But Noonan said that would not interrupt the horse’s preparation.

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