Europeans pass Melbourne Cup examination

CONNECTIONS of several European raiders for the Emirates Melbourne Cup suffered a nervous Friday as they eventually passed the strict veterinary examinations ahead of next Tuesday’s race.

In the interest of fairness, all the top 35-ranked horses had to be looked at by Racing Victoria vets, with the final declarations for the 24-strong field to be made on Saturday afternoon.

Dermot Weld’s Profound Beauty had been found to be slightly lame on Thursday and it was not until Friday morning that she got the go-ahead, with the trainer listening on the phone waiting to pack his bags for Australia.